Danger in Dixie
by Lubadub
Summary: A sequel to Danger is a Dame. The Danger gang goes to Bon Temps for a wedding. What will a change in scenery do for Eric and Sookie's relationship? Rated M for a reason! Lemons
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Well, here it is. The highly anticipated Danger in Dixie, a sequel to Danger is a Dame. If you haven't read Dame, you probably won't get Dixie, so go ahead and read it first! Dame ended sometime in April, this story picks up with our happy couple mid-summer. Hope you like it!**

**As always, thanks to my beta, chisaii-kitty, for continuing to put up with me and my insanity. She's the best! Also thanks to the twitter gang who were more excited for this story than I was. I've been teasing them for a while now. If you want in on the fun, follow me Lizzykins87.**

**Disclaimer: CH & AB own their respective property. I own Alexander Danger and his universe of mystery.**

* * *

_My Dear Alexander,_

_I hope this letter finds you in better spirits than the day you let me walk away. I would have loved you, Darling, I would have made you a very happy man. I never lied, I would have changed my ways for you. I tried to keep my promise, but after the first fool met the end of my blade in Sacramento, I remembered the thrill of the kill. The power that surges through me when I take an awful man's life is incomparable. _

_That's the purpose of this letter, you see. I know you've been tracking me. I know you've been alerting the authorities of my presence and your suspicions. I promised to leave you alone, if you left me alone. It appears one of us has broken that promise. I'm coming for you, Lover. As you can tell, I know you've left New York. You're not the only one with connections. I want you to know that you'll be seeing me real soon. I'm making my way to you, and when I find you, one of us won't be walking away._

_If you stop this useless hunt, I'll stop mine. Interfere in my life once more, and the sweet sound of my voice will be the last thing you hear. _

_All my love,_

_Susannah_

* * *

"You bought my Gran's house?"

Eric Northman looked up from his writing at his now furious girlfriend, Sookie Stackhouse. She was standing in the doorway of the balcony, her sundress fluttering in the gentle breeze. If it had been colder, he could probably see the steam billowing out of her ears. She was holding an envelope which he assumed had just been delivered from his real estate agent, ruining his surprise.

"That wasn't addressed to you; you shouldn't have opened it."

"Don't you start with me right now. You bought my Gran's house? What happened to the family that was living there? No one told me they were selling."

"They weren't. I made them a generous offer, which they gladly accepted. I paid them more than the house was worth, I assure you."

"That's not the point! Why would you buy a house without consulting me?"

"We're not married, Sookie, I don't have to ask your permission before spending my money."

The look on her face let him know he said the wrong thing. He was certain her head would explode if he didn't come up with something smooth, fast.

"We're staying in Bon Temps for two weeks for your brother's wedding and you said it yourself, there are no nice hotels in the area. I thought you would like having someplace familiar to stay."

Her face darkened another shade of red. That wasn't the right thing. "Um, it's an early birthday present?"

"You bought me a house for my birthday? I bought you a journal for yours."

"You _made_ me a journal for my birthday. It was a gift from the heart, just like mine."

She threw the envelope at him and stormed off the balcony into the New York apartment they shared. He wanted to follow her, but opted to give her a few minutes to calm down first. He looked down at his notepad, full of the first chapter of his next book, filling in some of the blanks he had left behind. Ever since she mentioned they'd be going to Louisiana together, he'd been writing about Danger in the South, recuperating from his episode with Susannah in a small town far away from the sociopath.

He checked his watch, noting that two and a half minutes had passed, deciding that to be enough time for Sookie to have regained her head. She was sitting on the floor in their recently redecorated living room. She said it was too clinical and not homey enough. With the new overstuffed furniture, they spent many a night curled up together watching movies or sharing a comfortable silence. Now, she was brushing Clancy, helping him along with his annual summer shed. Twice daily brushing kept the dog hair around the apartment to a tolerable low.

"Why are you so upset that I bought the house? I wanted it to be a surprise, otherwise I would have talked to you about it. I figured with all of us going down there, we'd need someplace to stay. Especially considering that everyone sold their property to afford their new life here. It wasn't just for our comfort, I thought all our friends could stay there too."

She just kept brushing their dog, not even looking up at him. He walked over to their position, lowering his tall frame to the floor to cradle Clancy's head, petting him as his best furry friend licked his hands.

"You kicked that nice family out for your own pleasure. Now they have no place to live."

"They found an equally nice house in Monroe. They said it's a much better school district with more kids in the neighborhood."

She sat in silence for a little while longer until Clancy was free of all the loose fur, which she was pulling from the teeth of the brush. With the amount of hair the poor dog was losing, they could probably knit Amelia's dog, Bob the Boston Terrier, a winter sweater. He looked much happier, rolling on to his back so one of his two humans could rub his tummy. Sookie was glad to oblige him.

"What about furniture? You want everyone to sleep in an empty house?"

"Jason said that between the stuff everyone has in storage down there, we could furnish the entire house. We might have to order another bed or two, but that's totally doable."

She was running out of arguments and her anger was running out of steam. She looked up with a half smile, making eye contact with him for the first time since she started their argument. "You really bought my Gran's house?"

"Yup. It really is for you though. I thought it would be nice to have someplace to escape the craziness of the city every now and then. Plus, I've been really inspired since you started talking more and more about Bon Temps. I've set my next book there. I've even got a chapter written without ever setting eyes on it myself. Being down there would really help my writing."

"Is that what you've been working on? I noticed you writing a lot more recently."

"I didn't want to say anything until I got something on paper to organize my thoughts. Susannah's making her second appearance."

That piqued her curiosity. She loved the fact that he had written her into his books, even if it was as a psycho killer. All traces of their fight left her system, she wanted to know more. He gladly explained his intended direction; the fact that Danger escaped New York yet was still tracking her kills starting on the West Coast and working her way back east. Their paths cross when she starts sending him letters, revealing that she knows exactly where he is and is coming for him. Again Eric was taking a new direction in his books because of Sookie; this time around, Danger wasn't solving a murder, he was preventing his own.

"How are we going to fit everyone in the old farmhouse?"

"There's been some remodeling done. The entire second level was redone, now there are three bedrooms up there, in addition to the two on the first floor. There's a new master suite. From what the owners told me, they left the rest of it alone, wanting to leave the history of the house behind."

"So Gran's kitchen is still there? That was my favorite room in the house."

"Yeah, they got a few new appliances, but the room is exactly the same, complete with the tin roof. Do you want to see pictures? They e-mailed me when we started talking seriously about a sale."

The way her eyes lit up was the only answer he needed. He went to his study, grabbing his laptop, bringing it into the living room. He curled up on the couch, holding his arms out so she would join him. She jumped up on the couch with him, snuggling in his side, taking a kiss while his laptop started up. He pulled up the photo album, starting the slide show for Sookie to watch.

The tears started flowing almost immediately. Sookie had forgotten how much she missed the old farmhouse that her great-grandfather had built with his own two hands. The house was in the family for one hundred fifty years, before Sookie selfishly sold it after Gran died. She needed a fresh start, and even though there was initial heartbreak, moving to New York was the best decision she ever made. If she didn't, she would have never met Eric.

When the pictures turned to outside shots, she couldn't believe her eyes. The new family had completely transformed Gran's garden for the better. Sookie didn't have a green thumb to save her life, and was glad to see what had happened. There were so many colors and different types of flowers, plus a huge gazebo in the backyard. The old rotten shed had been torn down and replaced with one that looked like a miniature barn. They really had modernized the house without losing any of its old charm. That had been her biggest fear, one she was glad to have dispelled.

She took a deep breath, letting it out slowly. "I don't say this often enough, so don't get too used to it. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have reacted the way I did."

"So you're saying I was right and you were wrong?"

"I did not say that, jerkface! I said I was sorry."

"So you apologize in one breath and call me a jerkface in the next? You're sending me all sorts of mixed messages here, Lover."

"Then let's go into the bedroom and I'll make it perfectly clear. You know what they say about make up sex."

She was half way to the bedroom before he picked his jaw up off the floor. She was always the bold one in their relationship. He chased after her, breaking out into a run to catch her. He scooped her up in his arms, where she promptly wrapped her legs around his waist, and arms around his neck, pulling his face to hers to cover it with kisses. He made his way blind to the bedroom, falling backwards onto the bed so she straddled his waist.

She wasted no time in stripping her dress off, his shirt not a moment after. She laid back down on top of him, pressing her bare chest against his, recapturing his lips with hers. They kissed for a while, Sookie grinding down on him the entire time. By the time his pants came off, she was begging for him. She was rocking against him, teasing him by only taking the head of his cock or nothing at all. She dragged her nails down his chest, a pensive expression on her face.

"I never had sex in my Gran's house. I always went to Bill's."

"Can we not talk about your ex-fiance when I'm about to be buried in you?"

"I was just thinking that maybe we should go down a few days early so we can christen every room."

He grabbed her hips and slid his full length inside her, loving the moans it pulled from her lips. "I like the way you think. But no more thinking now. You're supposed to be convincing me to forgive you for yelling at me by screaming because of me."

The wicked gleam returned to her eyes as she pulled his hands off her hips. He took her hint, tucking them behind his head as a pillow, letting her take the reigns. She ran her fingertips over his ribs, up her legs and torso, coming to rest on her breasts. She knew how much he loved to watch her touch herself, taking the time to roll her nipples between her fingers slowly. She started to rise and fall, setting a leisurely pace which they both seemed to enjoy.

He shifted on the bed, sitting up to pull her to him, sitting chest to chest. She wrapped her arms around his neck, using the strength in her legs to continue to ride him. As they both approached their release, the pace quickened, an animalistic urge taking over. The sound of skin against skin filled the room in perfect harmony with their moans and grunts. She lost her rhythm, the desire to find her completion driving her movements. He was glad to pick up where she left off, one arm wrapped around her waist, the other reaching up her back to tangle his fingers in her hair. With a less than gentle pull, the sensation drove her over the edge.

She came with a scream, tightening her legs around his waist to the point he thought his ribs might break. Coming up on his knees, he flipped her to her back, pounding into her to continue her release and start his. He collapsed beside her, both panting to try and catch their breath. She turned to face him, a smile plastered on her face.

"Forgive me?"

"If I say no, will you do that again?"

* * *

The gang met up at Merlotte's North for their usual Thursday night drink. They were trying to work out the logistics of where everyone would stay and when everyone would be arriving in Bon Temps. Jason and Crystal would be staying in a town down the road, where Crystal grew up. Her father said there was an extra trailer available where the soon-to-be weds could stay. Eric internally shuddered at the thought of growing up in a trailer. His family was always well off, he experienced the best of the best during his childhood. Sookie had been preparing him ever since Jason announced their desire to go home for the wedding.

Two couples asked to stay with them at the farmhouse, Amelia, Tray, Hoyt and Jessica. Sam was bringing Daphne home to meet his parents and would be staying their house. Hoyt originally planned on doing the same with his mother, but she was less than thrilled with the fact he was dating a "Yankee." If they stayed with her, she would force them into separate rooms. The six of them could easily share the house, they all got along well and had enough space to spread out.

Sookie and Eric were flying down the next day, telling their friends they wanted to get everything ready. When Amelia and Tray offered to come down early to help out with the heavy lifting, Sookie and Eric shouted "No," in unison, drawing suspicion from a group of people that knew them all too well. Crystal, now four months pregnant and barely showing, insisted on driving. Even though her doctor cleared her to fly, she was too paranoid to even consider boarding a plane. Jason would do anything to make her happy, renting a SUV to drive down with Hoyt and Jess. Between the four of them, they would split the nearly twenty four hour drive. They intended to get into town by Sunday, which was when the rest of the crew would be flying down. The wedding was going to be in the new garden at what was still being called Gran's house. When Jason and Crystal saw the pictures, they knew immediately it would be the perfect setting.

Those from Bon Temps were beyond excited, sharing stories of growing up in such a small town. Sookie couldn't wait to see her old friends, friends she hadn't seen in nearly two years. Her best friends in high school, Tara Thornton and JB du Rone, had gotten married and had a daughter; both events Sookie had missed due to not being able to afford the flight home.

When the name Dawn Green came up so did Jason's head. Crystal looked like she would kill him. Sookie filled a very confused Eric in, explaining that Dawn was Jason's high school girlfriend, a time when Jason didn't notice Crystal was alive. They had met up again in New York, getting to know one another by working together at the gym. That, and Jason would have sex with any woman with a pulse.

Hoyt took it upon himself the lighten the mood, recanting stories from their senior year when they spray painted the entire football field red. That started another competition among the friends, trying to top each other's pranks. Crystal forgot all about Jason's former man-whore ways. Eric was impressed with the changes Jason made in his life. When he and Sookie first started dating, her big brother was after everything in a skirt. Now, his eyes might wander, but he was loyal to Crystal. It must have to do with life growing inside her. Becoming a father changed people.

He was amazed that he and Sookie hadn't had the baby talk yet. They also hadn't had the wedding talk, outside that awkward conversation back in Los Angeles. They were content with the way their relationship was progressing, happy to live together.

Considering they had an early flight out the next morning, Eric and Sookie opted to call it a night. Pam left the bar with them, since she would be taking care of Clancy while they were on vacation. She was invited to come along, but as soon as Sookie started to describe the little town, Pam gracefully declined. Any town without designer stores or high speed internet access turned her off. She offered the weak excuse that someone would need to take care of Clancy, and was stuck taking Bob, too, as a favor to Amelia.

Pam left the apartment with Clancy a short while later. The happy couple readied for bed, throwing some last minute items into their carry on luggage. Eric placed their passports and boarding passes on the kitchen table, stacking their bags at the door. He was a big fan of being prepared, especially considering Sookie's aversion to all things morning. The less she needed to do before her coffee, the better off they would be.

He arranged for a car service to deliver them to Kennedy International Airport the suggested two hours before departure and finally curled up in bed behind Sookie. As he snuggled into the sheets, she ran down the checklist with him, making sure no detail was overlooked. They slowly fell asleep, satisfied they could handle the morning with ease.

**A/N2: Sooo, what did you think? I'm happy to start this new adventure with Sookie and Eric, as well as Danger and Susannah. My fictional characters were the ones who inspired me to write, keeping me up late with their plotline. Susannah is verrry persuasive when she wants to be. Silly muses.**

**Are you exited for their adventures in Bon Temps? What's going to happen with the wedding plans? What old skeletons are going to come out of the closet? Let me a little review love please! **


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: I'm really glad so many of you liked my first chapter!! It's so much fun to hang out with these characters again!**

**A lot of you commented on how I had them carrying their passports. Whenever my family travels, we always carry our passports, even if it's just a domestic flight. I guess I'm just used to carrying around the extra identification, and projected that onto Eric and Sookie.**

**Thanks to chisaii-kitty for her beta skills.**

**Disclaimer: Not mine!**

Eric stood, pressed against the front door, praying to any deity that would listen to make Sookie move faster. The car was waiting downstairs, and had been for the past ten minutes. She kept shouting from the bedroom that she needed just another minute, yet still had not emerged. She ran out of the room, finally, still threading her earrings in place.

She was ranting that she couldn't find her travel documents, even though they had been sitting on her nightstand all week. With a roll of his eyes, he gently reminded her he had gathered everything together last night, placing them securely in his carry on that morning. He handed her a travel mug full of coffee, which she gladly accepted, and they were out the door. She would be much easier to handle with caffeine in her system.

The car ride to the airport was uneventful, as was their trip through security. Waiting at the gate, Sookie enjoyed her second cup of coffee and was approaching human territory. She never quite understood how Eric put up with her before she was properly caffeinated, but she wrote it off to true love. Even she didn't like the person she was before her first cup.

She was bouncing in her seat, and couldn't decide if it was from the coffee or excitement from going home. She was beyond happy to show her hometown to Eric; she wanted to show him all her favorite places her small town had to offer. Even though she was upset at first when she found out about his purchase, she couldn't image anywhere else in Bon Temps she wanted to stay. When her parents died, that house became her home.

She completely missed the first few boarding announcements, lost in her memories. Luckily, Eric was an attentive traveler, taking charge to ensure they actually got on the plane. She was excited to see he had booked a window seat for her. Before her move to New York with Bill, she had never flown before and insisted on always having a window seat. She loved to watch the world fly beneath her. Her eyes never left the small oval on any flight.

He took the center seat next to her, smiling at how happy the little things in life made her. He couldn't wait for their first trip to Stockholm, marking her first transatlantic flight. He had been planning a trip back, considering this year marked his parents' fortieth wedding anniversary. His older brother, who still lived in Sweden, had a big surprise party in the works. Eric was convinced the party was a secret plan to get him to come home, a trip he had only made once since he left ten years ago.

The plane began to taxi, and Sookie gripped Eric's hand tightly. She didn't mind flying, but take offs and landings stressed her out. Once the plane was in the air and then again on the ground, she was fine. He tried to calm her, rubbing soothing circles in her back with his free hand. He pushed the armrest between them away, pulling her as close to his body as he could with their seat belts on. He was not looking forward to having to do this again on their connecting flight from Dallas to Shreveport. He tried to find a direct flight, but couldn't since Shreveport Region Airport was such a small hub for most airlines.

Between their layover and the time difference, they would be landing in Shreveport in mid-afternoon then had an hour long drive to Bon Temps. Their day wouldn't end there, as they would have to visit the storage locker to find their furniture and set up. Just the thought of the amount of work they had ahead of them, combined with the exhaustion of travel, made Eric tired.

Their landing in Shreveport was a bumpy one, due to a storm system that was moving into the area. Eric lost circulation in his arm for that landing, and didn't regain it until their luggage slowly made its way around the carousel. He could fit everything he needed for their two week stay in his carry on, but Sookie was a notorious over-packer. He lifted her massive suitcase off the belt, and they made their way to the car rental desk.

When the attendant brought their car around, Sookie broke out into hysterical laughter. With tears in her eyes, she looked up at her love, her city boy.

"You rented a pick up truck?"

He beamed down at her, proud of himself for his decision. It was not for having to carry furniture; it was for the true down South experience. It was even a Ford, and he never drove American made cars. Jason was right when he called Eric a Euro-snob.

He put their bags in the truck's bed and went back around front to the cab, surprised to see Sookie in the driver's seat. She shot him a smile, signaling for him to get in on the passenger's side. She used the excuse of knowing the way, but really, she didn't think he could handle a car this size. _Boys and their toys._

The drive to Bon Temps was narrated by the voices of today's top country artists, according to the radio host. Eric thought it was all crap, but then again he hated most current music. Country was especially grating, the whiny lyrics and twangy voices did not appeal to him at all. It was just another aspect of Louisiana living he would have to adjust to.

When Sookie turned off the main highway and on to the county road, she slowed down to point out all the highlights of Bon Temps. When she turned down Hummingbird Lane, she pointed out the original Merlotte's, still run by Sam's parents. The next turn was the left onto her driveway, and Eric was glad he wasn't driving. He would have gone right past the unmarked cut out in the road.

When Sookie was growing up, they always used the backdoor, but she parked in front so Eric could get his first look at the house in person. She took the keys from him, running up the front steps of the wrap around porch. She opened the door, and stood in the entryway stunned. She never dreamed of returning to this house when she sold it, but here she was. She stepped in tentatively, reverently looking over everything. The living room and kitchen were mostly the same, updated with a fresh coat of paint. New appliances lined the walls of the kitchen, but it still had the same feel as it did when she was a child. She could almost smell Gran's pies baking in the oven when she closed her eyes.

She was pulled from her reverie by Eric asking if she wanted to head over to the storage locker before the facility closed for the night. They still had to sort through everything that Sam, Hoyt and Jason had shoved in there in their haste to move north. Eric was praying they had decent furniture to work with, not just cheap, bachelor style garbage. He would gladly furnish the entire house on his own if he had to, just to make Sookie happy. They drove back up the road, finding the storage center easily thanks to Sam's directions. Opening the sliding door, Eric was shocked at how much stuff three men could fit in one space. It was packed, floor to ceiling, with everything from bed frames, mattresses, bedroom furniture, couches, anything that wouldn't easily make the move to New York.

They packed the truck with as much as they could, knowing they would need to make a few more trips out there. They loaded mostly items they would need tonight; furnishings for just one bedroom and a few pieces to put around the living room. A small card table and a folding chairs made the first cut, too, so they would have someplace to eat their meals. Before they left, they wrote a full inventory so they could start planning what they would need to buy.

They made it back to the farmhouse, unloading the items inside. Sookie volunteered to head to Wal-Mart alone to pick up some food and cleaning supplies, leaving Eric to move the pieces into the master bedroom and to unpack. Putting the bed frame together would take a little work, but he considered himself fairly handy. He was nearly finished when he heard a knock at the door.

Eric walked back to the front of the house, opening the door to a smiling, happy couple. He couldn't figure out if they were neighbors or the old owners, so he introduced himself to them with a smile and offered his hand for a greeting.

"Pleasure to meet you Eric. I'm Bill Compton and this is my wife, Selah."

"And you live in the house across the cemetery?"

"Yes, how did you know that?"

He smiled at having the upper hand on the man that ruined his Sookie's life. He thought of all the fun ways he could fuck with this guy's head. "Oh, just from what I gathered from speaking to the prior owner. Would you like to come in? My girlfriend just went to town to get some food so I don't have anything to offer you, but I could use a little help getting this couch into place."

Bill came in, lifting one end while Eric lifted the other, bringing the loveseat further into the living room. Eric opened a few of the folding chairs so he would have someplace to sit and chat with his new friends. Nothing could wipe the smile from his face. They spoke for a while, Bill sharing little details about Bon Temps that only a resident would know; things that Eric already knew but acted excited to learn to keep up the rouse. Bill was just describing his short time in New York when Eric heard the truck pull up the driveway. He was more than happy to see where this would go. Getting pleasure out of the pain Bill was sure to feel wasn't the most neighborly of emotions, but this was the man that hurt Sookie deeply. Eric held little compassion for the bastard.

She came through the door, shouting for Eric to help her with the rest of the packages. The pale, shocked look on Compton's face was a sure sign of the blow up that was about to ensue. Selah looked like she wanted to crawl under a rock and die. Eric assumed she and Sookie were friends in high school, but not anymore.

"Lover, this is Bill and Selah, our new neighbors."

The look she shot him could melt ice, but the look on Bill's face when the word "lover" left his lips was well worth Sookie's wrath.

"What happened to New York, Bill?"

"After my little embarrassment, I was let go and had no other choice but to return home. The apartment was leased through the firm."

"Little embarrassment? You were caught fucking one of the senior partners in the conference room, by me might I add, and then ran stark naked through the halls to catch me. I'd call that more than a little embarrassment."

The questioning look on Selah's face told Eric that Bill was in for an earful once they went home. Someone had been less than honest with the new missus. Sadly, Eric knew he was in for an earful of his own. Sookie only cursed when she was really angry and that anger wouldn't settle down once the Comptons were out of sight. He would be left to take the brunt of Hurricane Sookie. With that thought, all excitement he felt at Bill's pain went out the window.

"So you came home and married one of my friends. You are such an ass. I'm so glad I didn't marry you. This is my new boyfriend, Eric Northman. He's a famous author and he bought me this house for my birthday. It wasn't even for sale, but he managed to buy it anyway. Isn't that so sweet and thoughtful?"

Bill had nothing to say, so she continued her rant. Eric was hopeful she would get most of the steam out now, less for him to handle.

"Just so you know, my whole world didn't end when you were no longer part of it. After you, I dated John Quinn, the biggest party planner in New York City. He took me to all sorts of lavish events. He taught me things in the bedroom that would make you blush. Did you know that sex can last longer than two minutes? I bet Selah doesn't."

Eric didn't like the direction this conversation was going. She was getting crass, which meant she was heading towards violence. He stepped forward to place himself between Bill and Sookie to avoid a potential lawsuit.

"If you hear screams coming from this end of the cemetery, don't worry, it's just me and Eric fucking on every available surface this house has to offer. He's the best I ever had; I'm completely spoiled for average men now. We're here for Jason's wedding and then thank God I get to go back to New York. I don't have to look at your stupid face every day of my life. It would be in your best interest to stay away from this house. I'm pretty sure Gran's old Benelli is still in the root cellar and you know I'm a good shot."

She stared daggers at them until they left, slamming the door shut without ever letting Bill get a word in. She stood at the door, with her back still to Eric, trying to get her breathing back to normal. She didn't want to take her frustration out on him, so she decided to channel her aggression into something positive. She left the house, collecting the bags with the cleaning supplies and set to work on cleaning the entire house top to bottom.

"Eric, I'd hate to do this to you, but you need to leave. I need to clean and you'll only be in my way if you stay. I just need to work this out of my system. I'm sorry."

"I'll drive around a bit, familiarize myself with the area. The truck has GPS so I can't get too lost. I'll go back to the locker, get another load of furniture. We'll figure the rest out when I get back."

He placed a kiss to the top of her head and left her to unwind. While at the locker, he called Jason to let him know they arrived safe as well as fill him in on what just happened with Bill. Jason was hysterically laughing by the time Eric was done, excited to come down and give Bill the beat down he deserved.

An hour later, he pulled up in front of the house, hoping Sookie had enough time to cool down. He entered their home, stunned at the silence. He paused for a moment, long enough to hear the sniffling coming from the back bedroom. He ran to their room and found her sitting on the floor crying her eyes out. He sat down beside her, pulling her into his lap, holding her close while she cried the rest of her tears away. When she began to slow down, she pulled back, looking deep into his blue eyes which were now full of concern.

"Sorry, I guess I was just adjusting to the room not being Gran's. It's weird to be in here without any of her things. It hit me all at once and I couldn't help it."

"I understand, I just wish I was here with you the entire time. This is our room in our house now. It'll take some getting used to."

She buried her face into his chest again, letting the remainder of her sadness pass in the comfort of his embrace.

"Did you see the new master bathroom? There's a jacuzzi tub in there we could swim laps in. You should get one for the apartment."

He pulled her close again, happy to hear a more jovial tone in her voice. "You think I haven't considered it before? It just won't fit in my tiny bathroom. It will have to be a luxury we enjoy when we're here. That is, if you still want to come back here often with your ex as your neighbor."

"I'm not letting him ruin the amazing memories I have of this house, or the new one's we're sure to make. This is our place now, I won't let him rain on my happiness ever again."

They busied themselves the rest of the day moving furniture around. The first room they settled was their own, getting first dibs on the nicest bedroom set. Sookie recognized it immediately; it had been her parents. Jason had moved into their parent's house when he was eighteen, selling it for the big move. She had seen a lot of her parent's things in the locker. It felt nice to bring them to the farmhouse, it added an entirely new level of memories and feelings of home. She wondered what he did with the rest of Gran's furniture. She had sold most of it to fund her move to New York, leaving some pieces behind that wouldn't sell. She didn't remember seeing it in the storage center, she'd have to ask Jason what he did with it when they arrived on Sunday.

They made their first trip upstairs, and Sookie didn't even recognize the place. The old owners had lifted the roof a few feet, adding a great amount of height to the tiny rooms Sookie remembered. When she was growing up, there was one large open area and a small bedroom on the second floor. Now there were three moderately sized bedrooms and a full bathroom. The smaller bedroom on the first floor, her room when she was a child, and the half bathroom had been left alone aside from fresh paint. This certainly wasn't the house she lived in as a child, but it had retained much of the same charm. It was a like having a fresh start but still keeping an old security blanket.

The finally finished getting everything upstairs just after dark. Sookie took up in the kitchen, familiarizing herself with the new appliances. She made a simple dinner, just boiling up some spaghetti and toasting garlic bread. They were both exhausted and she wanted something simple to cook. He found a bottle of wine Sookie had picked up while she was out, pouring them both a much needed glass. He rubbed her shoulders while their meal cooked, easing out the rest of the tension that had built up that day. He'd be thankful when bedtime rolled around, praying that would be soon. As much as he and Sookie wanted to christen the house, it would have to wait until morning when he didn't feel like death warmed over.

After wiping out the entire pot of pasta and bottle of wine, they dragged themselves into the bedroom, collapsing against the mattress. She rolled over to snuggle against him, but quickly turned away from the stink. She did a sniff test on herself, disgusted with her own odor as well.

"We need to shower. I don't want to nasty up the sheets on the first night."

"How do you have the energy for that? And seriously, in the shower? Standing up sex requires even more strength then laying down!"

"Not that type of nasty, you pervert. We both stink from sweating all day. Come on, I'll scrub your back if you scrub mine. I'll get the industrial strength soap."

He laughed as she rolled him off the bed, but groaned as he did the old man shuffle into the bathroom. Dragging the furniture upstairs was not easy. Even as strong as Sookie was, he wished they had waited for the rest of the guys to get in town to do the real heavy lifting. He would be feeling sore for quite a while.

They showered off the grime of the day before filling the tub for a soak. Turning on the jets felt like heaven. The strong streams of water worked every part of both of their bodies, working away the pain and tenderness. As the water grew cold, they got out and took turns drying the other off. They made their way back to bed, curling up together. The tub had rejuvenated them both, and they stayed up a little longer talking. Bill was not one of Sookie's favorite topics, and she often avoided any mention of him. When Eric had first opened up to her about Felicia, she commended him on his strength for being able to talk about her. She knew he had more time under his belt to process the emotions, especially the pain. When they had first started dating, just under a year had passed since her break up. With the added closure of screaming at him and kicking him out of her home, she was finally able to elaborate on what little she had told Eric.

He held her, patiently listening to her talk about her past. He knew the basics of the story, but hearing the painful details was heartbreaking. He was often verbally abusive to her, making her feel like crap whenever she wanted to stay in New Orleans as opposed to driving home for the weekend to see him. She stayed with him because it was familiar, and Gran loved him. When they were around her, he was the perfect gentleman. It was only in private that he let his inner monster be revealed. When her Gran passed away, he was all she had, considering how emotionally detached Jason could be at times, so she clung to him like a life preserver.

When she moved to New York with him, she knew it would be the start of a new life, but had no idea how much would change. Breaking up with him was painful, especially when he called begging to be taken back. A few times, she almost considered but when she was hesitant with him once, he lashed out at her. Being apart, even that short time, had given her the strength to end their relationship permanently. As much as she complained, she was grateful when her friends and family came to support her. It was her darkest hour, and they helped her pull through.

"Like you did for me, Sookie."

She looked into his eyes, sharing the smile that was on his face. She never drew that parallel before, but could finally see that she had paid it forward. If it hadn't been for her friends, she could have never had the skills to support Eric. She burrowed deeper into his arms, until she was flush against him. Letting go of her past was just one step closer to the future she wanted to share with Eric. She looked up at him to say something in confirm what he said, but she noticed he was already asleep. She rested her head against his chest, excited for their first full day in Bon Temps tomorrow. She had a busy day planned for them, and couldn't wait for it to start.

**A/N2: So, it took a sequel to get a better picture of Sookie's history. Danger is a Dame was all about Eric but in this setting we'll learn more about Sookie's past. **

**Press that little green button and leave me some lovin!**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Good evening. Sorry for the lack of updates, I'm trying to space out updates between What it Means to Forget and Dixie. As luck (?) would have it, WIMTF is almost over. Once it does, Dixie will get to a more regular updating schedule. But here's Chapter 3!**

**As always, tons of love to chiisai-kitty (look! I spelled it right) for her awesome beta skills. She's so much fun on Twitter, I'm so glad I got her on there :)**

**Disclaimer: Not mine!**

The bright morning sun streaming in through the window reminded Eric of another item to add to their shopping list; curtains. The morning sun was beautiful, but not this early in the morning. They both enjoyed sleeping in more often than not. Sadly, it was not the sunlight that woke him, but the pounding on the door. No one knew they were in Bon Temps, unless Sookie had blabbed to her friends. They had coordinated their trip to have at least one full day of privacy.

He peeled himself out of bed, Sookie completely oblivious to the rhythmic drumming coming from the front of the house. Out of spite, he woke her with a firm slap on her ass before leaving the room. If he was up at the crack of dawn, so was she. He made his way to the front door, wiping the sleep from his eyes and trying in vain to smooth his gnarled hair.

Opening the front door, he was greeted by three smiling faces; a man, a woman and their baby. She was petite, with dark chocolate skin; he was average height but well built, it's obvious he did manual labor for a living. Their baby, an adorable giggling girl, was the perfect combination of the two, her caramel skin matched with a head of dark curls. He recognized them from pictures, this was Tara and JB.

"Morning! That must make you Eric. Sookie did not do you justice when she described you! You're a walking wet dream."

"Tara! Not in front of the baby, you know she's starting to talk and I don't want her first words to be nasty."

"Ignore my husband, he's a stick in the mud. Tara du Rone, that's JB and Layla. We're old friends of Sookie's. We figured with you guys just coming down, you wouldn't have much food so we brought you breakfast."

It was then that he noticed the tray of baked goods in her arms as well as the thermos of coffee. She did know Sookie well.

"Of course, and yes, I'm Eric, Sookie's told me a lot about you guys. Please come in, I'll go make sure she's awake."

"That's why we're here so early. Call me a sadist, but I know how she is in the morning and I just love to torture her. Sorry for having to include you in that."

"No problem, I don't mind an early start when there's food involved. She's down the hall in Gran's old room."

Tara handed off the tray, heading down the hallway with an evil smile on her face. Eric led JB and Layla into the kitchen to sit and eat. He was just about to take a bite of a massive blueberry muffin when he heard a shriek from the opposite end of the house. The screaming turned to giggling, and he was hoping they would come into the kitchen soon to find out what made Sookie's voice reach that pitch.

"Sookie told me she didn't tell anyone we were coming down early. How did you guys know we'd be here?"

"Aw, you know girls, they get to talking. Sookie and Tara are best friends, always have been. They don't keep anything from each other. Were you looking forward to a day alone?"

"Honestly, yeah, but I don't mind meeting the other half of Sookie's friends. Trust me, everyone that's moved up north has been talking about high school memories. And I've already had the pleasure of meeting Selah and Bill Compton."

"He's a real trip. When he came back down here, he tried to act as if nothing happened. But of course, Sookie talked to Tara and Tara told the entire town. Only that crazy Selah would see fit to start dating that waste of a man."

JB broke out into laughter while Layla mouthed on the top of a muffin. She wasn't amused by the gossip of grown folks. Eric watched her, completely enthralled by the food in her hands. Most of it ended up on the table, but some made it to her mouth. JB looked worried at the mess she was making.

"Sorry about that. She's at that age where everything is fascinating, more so when it's in a thousand pieces."

"It's no problem. We'll have to be getting used to it with Crystal's on the way. How old is she?"

"Just turned eight months last week. You and Sook start talking babies yet?"

Eric nearly choked on his coffee. "I'll take that as a no."

He was spared the awkward conversation when Sookie and Tara came into the room, where Sookie immediately began fawning over Layla. She picked the little one up, bouncing her on her hip a few times, speaking in the gibberish most adults resort to when speaking to babies or animals. Eric couldn't help but notice how natural Sookie looked with a baby in her arms. He could imagine her with a beautiful blond haired, blue eyed child of their own, quickly shaking the image from his head. He took a long draw of coffee, writing the daydream off to lack of sleep.

He poured her a cup of coffee, passing it to her free hand. They had that dance down well after so many months of living together. He knew just how she liked it, in more ways than one. He had been looking forward to spending all day exploring the nooks and crannies of the house while exploring the nooks and crannies of his girlfriend, but getting to know her friends could be just as fun, right?

"So, Tara, what's the best way to get her up? I have my methods, but they're not the type of thing you want Layla repeating."

"Oh, I suppose sexing her up would get her work pretty well. I usually just go for the pillow fight technique, or when I'm feeling adventurous, ice cubes do the trick."

"I don't think we're thinking of the same ice cube trick."

Sookie's face blushed a deep red, but Tara just started laughing. She wrapped her arms around Sookie in a half hug, whispering something in her ear. She handed Layla back to JB, taking the seat next to Eric and picking at the breakfast her friends had brought. Soon enough, everyone was eating and talking, catching up on old times. JB and Tara stayed for an hour before excusing themselves to take care of some grocery shopping. They offered to come back with dinner, but Sookie declined, saying they planned on working on the house all day and couldn't commit to a normal time to eat. With Tara and JB gone, Sookie gave Eric a glance that said only one thing.

"So which room comes first?"

"You know the house better than me, you get first choice."

"The porch could be fun."

"You just want your ex to hear us. Pick again."

"You said it was my choice. If you want to get laid, you'll meet me on the porch."

She took one last bite of the muffin she was working on before sauntering off towards the back door. Eric sat at the kitchen table, casually drinking his cup of coffee. He had every intention of joining Sookie, but wanted to make her sweat it out a little bit. He didn't want her to think he was too eager. Draining the cup of its last drop, he walked out the same door Sookie had, finding her seated on the ledge of the porch, staring out into the backyard. He came up behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist, resting his chin on the top of her head. From the first time he wrapped his arms around her, he noticed how well they fit together.

"I love the way the air smells. It's so crisp and refreshing. Not like the stale air in New York."

He pressed a kiss to the top of her head, inhaling her sweet scent. He could still pick out the traces of her shampoo from their shower last night. He couldn't care less if they were in the country or the city, it was the only scent he ever wanted to smell again.

"I figured how we could both win out."

"And how's that, Lover?"

"Well, I want to mess around on the porch but you don't want Bill to hear us so..." She trailed off her sentence, jumping off the ledge and pushing Eric into one of the old wooden Adirondack chairs. With a smile, she took the pillows off one of the other chairs, dropping them to the floor between his legs. When the light of recognition turned on in his eyes, he returned her smile.

She straddled his lap first, capturing his lips in a deep kiss that tasted sweet from the berries in his breakfast. She moved down his body, stripping him of his shirt to let her kisses trail down his chest. She shifted, moving to the pillows she laid out for herself, giving her knees a much needed cushion against the hardwood of the deck. He lifted his hips as she tugged his pants down, freeing his already hard member. She licked her lips in anticipation, making eye contact with him, just the way he liked. She licked him from base to tip before she wrapped her lips around the head. She slowly took more of him in her mouth, sliding her lips along the smooth skin. She hummed, and the vibrations traveled all across his body, sending a shiver through him. She set a steady pace, not too fast or too slow, just enough to keep him on edge.

He let his head roll along the back of the chair, lost in the sensation of her warm mouth. He needed to focus on something else to delay his release, for this was far too good a feeling to let it end this quickly. Watching her blonde curls bob up and down wouldn't do the trick. He looked out into the woods surrounding the rear of the property. He'd never be able to spend time back there again without remembering this moment, that's for sure.

She raked her fingernails down the tops of his thighs, bringing him back into the moment. She caught his gaze again, and held it. He loved the fire that burned in her eyes during any sexual act. It was contagious, and soon, he knew the flames would consume him. Wrapping his fingers in her hair, he guided her to a slower pace to make it last. She gave in, nearly stopping her movement, focusing her attention back to the tip. He closed his eyes, relaxing into the bliss when, without warning, she took his full length in her mouth, hollowing her cheeks with suction.

His fingers tightening their grip in her hair, his release being ripped from the very core of his body. She swallowed every drop he had to give, before helping him pull his pants back into place. He collapsed against the back of the chair, instinctively wrapping his arms around her as she curled up in his lap.

"See, not a peep! Except you were the one getting to enjoy the view back here."

She turned in his arms so she could look out. The wind was blowing through the trees, making them appear to dance with the breeze. There was a large clearing that housed the shed. After giving him a minute to get redressed, she took him on a tour of the land, taking him all the way down to the small stream that marked the edge of the property line.

They made it back to the house, making their mark in the kitchen and living room. They lay panting, Sookie sprawled out on the couch and Eric on the floor. Their clothes were an entirely different matter. Articles of clothing were splattered across the first level of the house; Sookie's shirt never even made it back in the house.

"We need to find our clothes and go shopping."

"Sookie, I'm having enough trouble getting off the floor, and now you want me to go shopping? We'll wait until everyone shows up tomorrow and make them do it."

"We don't have one TV or linens for all the beds. We need to go get stuff to decorate with."

"I sent out a mass text to everyone telling them to bring sheets and any other comfort items they needed. We're only here for two weeks, we don't need a TV."

She rolled over to look down at him. The look in her eyes told him he wasn't getting out of this. They were both modeling the latest fashion in sex hair, neither in much shape to head out into public. Eric was able to negotiate a shower before heading into town, but would not be spared the trip. Despite his best efforts under the spray, he couldn't change her mind about staying home.

She dragged him around Wal-Mart for a few hours, picking up odds and ends that were needed around the house. After heading home to put the perishables away, they went to Merlotte's for an early dinner. The minute she stepped foot in the restaurant, Sookie could feel every set of eyes drawn to her and Eric. Don Merlotte was stationed behind the bar, as always. He abandoned his post, running over to Sookie to wrap her up in a big hug, which half the restaurant also saw fit to do.

When they were done with Sookie, they immediately came over to Eric. He felt as if he met the entire town in a matter of minutes. Everyone wanted to know more about him, but he just wanted to eat dinner. They finally fought their way to a booth, Sookie ordering a pair of hamburgers for them. The cook, Terry Bellfleur, made the best burger in town; it was the only thing special off the menu.

Over the course of their evening, those who hadn't rushed them at the door came by to talk to them at their table. Everyone wanted to know about Jason's wedding, if they were moving to Bon Temps permanently, but the question on everyone's lips had to do with Eric. They couldn't get enough of him. No one seemed to care about his celebrity, however, they wanted to make sure he was treating Sookie well.

Maxine Fortenberry made sure to come over to get the down low on Jessica. She was disappointed her son wouldn't be staying with her, but happy he would at least be staying with friends. She and Sookie both teared up a little when talking about Gran. From what Eric could gather, the two ladies had been good friends. As soon as she walked away, more curious neighbors took her place.

When Don brought their plates over, he chased everyone off to leave them be. Of course, he sat down next to Sookie to chat with her about Daphne. Sam hadn't brought a girl home to his parents in years, even when he was still living in Louisiana. Sookie filled him in between bites, while Eric just devoured his food. Sookie wasn't exaggerating when she described how delicious the food was.

Bill and Selah walked in about an hour later, much to the enjoyment of the crowd. They didn't know the earful he had received from her the day before, but knowing Sookie, they would bear witness to round two. Selah wisely directed Bill to a table on the opposite end of the restaurant, out of the line of sight of the other couple. Don let Sookie know that Tara had filled the entire town on Bill's behavior and that everyone had taken her side. He told her that it took some people a long time to even look at Bill, let alone speak to him.

There was finally a lull in the crowd around them and Don had finally went back to bartending. Eric switched sides on the booth, coming to sit next to Sookie. He wrapped an arm around her, feeling her nuzzle closer to his chest.

"So, besides the other half of the town, anyone else I'd be interested in meeting? Old boyfriends, girls you experimented with in college, the kids you used to babysit for?"

"Well, you met both of my ex-boyfriends, and Amelia, so the first two are out. It doesn't look like Arlene is here tonight so you won't meet her kids. She was the only one I ever babysat for."

Eric stared at her for a moment, his brain unable to form words. "You and Amelia?"

"Just once, and it was just a little kissing. I was dating Bill at the time so I don't really count it as anything. Besides, I was totally plastered and she took advantage of me."

"I was just kidding, but I shouldn't have put it past you to make out with Amelia. You're adventurous and she's very convincing. Hell, she was this close to getting Pam to settle down into a serious relationship. I've known Pam a long time and I've never seen her even entertain the thought of having a girlfriend."

"We need to find a nice girl for Pam. Everyone else is coupled off, she's needs someone, too."

"Pam is perfectly happy to fuck the entire borough of Manhattan, I wouldn't worry about her for too long."

"And I'm perfectly happy here with you. You really handled meeting everyone well. You took it all in stride." She kissed the tip of his nose before pressing another to his lips.

"I guess I'm just used to meeting massive amounts of people all at once. Hoyt's mom is a little intense though."

"Intense? That woman is off her rocker. From what I heard, ever since Hoyt's left, she's been a wreck. He's all she has left. She's been pouring herself into church activities and volunteer work. It's good for the community but not for her mental status."

Selah walked over to their table hesitantly, making sure Sookie wouldn't rip into her after the way she treated Bill. She sat down, taking a deep before saying anything.

"I just want to say that I don't want you to think I'm a horrible person for marrying your ex. I always had a crush on him in high school and when I found out he was single again we started dating. In my defense, he never told me about what happened between you two in New York. I just don't want you to hate me; we were such good friends in high school."

"I don't really give a shit about you anymore, Selah. We weren't good friends; we grew up in a small town, we went to school together, so we knew each other. We were more like acquaintances than friends. I don't care who you married or fuck. Trust me, you can have Bill. If anything, I pity you for having to put up with him. Now I was having a nice evening out with my boyfriend, so you can leave now."

Selah walked away dejected. Eric could feel Sookie trying to calm herself down with deep breaths.

"You didn't have to be so tough on her. She would have gotten the message with a simple rejection."

"No she wouldn't have. That girl is dumb with a capital D. I needed to be perfectly clear that I couldn't give a rat's ass about her poor life decisions. Trust me, sweetie, I know how to handle the people down here."

"You're just trying to get the two of them to leave us alone."

"That too. Can you blame me for trying to get you alone in that big empty house?"

"True. Especially since after tomorrow it won't be so empty. Sam said their flight touches down at three, and last I heard from Jason they won't be getting in until late. That still leaves us with a good chunk of the day to ourselves."

"I'm going to be baking all day tomorrow. Before we came down, I found Gran's old recipe book and I'm going to make a few pies so the house smells like it used to."

Sookie laughed when Eric pouted like a toddler who wasn't getting his way. She kissed his protruding lower lip before biting it playfully. "Don't worry. They have to bake for a while. That's gives us a good window for lovin'."

Eric was satisfied with that answer. He just had to remember not to distract Sookie for too long. Considering he just bought the house, he didn't want it to burn down because of flaming pies. He also loved anything that Sookie baked. She definitely developed a strong skill set in the kitchen growing up with her Gran.

Before they left the restaurant, Sookie brought him down the hall towards the storage rooms which the locals called the "Hall of Fame." It was covered in pictures of past parties and gatherings that Merlotte's had hosted over the years. She pointed out shots of graduation and birthday parties. The group in the pictures was mostly the same as the one that met every Thursday night, with a few additions over the years. Somehow, old photographs were one of the items that didn't make the trip with Sookie and Eric had never seen mementos from her youth. He was amazed at how she and Jason hadn't changed over the years, just growing into their features.

He noticed a few that were overlapped by other pictures. Peeling back the top layer, he could easily figure out why. Most of the hidden images were of Bill and Sookie happy together. A little creative redecorating had been done to erase all memories of a relationship gone wrong. Sookie explained that Maryanne, Sam's mom, did that whenever a couple broke up. They wanted Merlotte's to be a place where everyone could be comfortable, not reminded of a bad past.

After another round of hugs from Don and promises to return once everyone was in town, they headed back to the farmhouse. They finished putting the rest of their purchases away before curling up on the porch to watch the sunset. The sky was painted in shades of orange and red as the sun began its decent below the horizon. As the darkness chased away the light, Eric brought Sookie inside to their bed, the last of a list of locations that hadn't been properly christened.

**A/N2: Mm porch head, safer than road head but just as much fun. Now that the house is broken it, it's time for the rest of the gang to show up! Next chapter: Everyone's reunited and it feels so good!!**

**Leave me some review love, it's the best feeling in the world to get lovin in my inbox**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: For your reading entertainment, the next chapter of Danger in Dixie. In this installment, sundae toppings are used for purposes not explicitly explained on the packaging. If this squicks you out, this chapter is not for you. Kitchen sex is fun, give it a try!**

**As always, my deepest graditude to chiisai-kitty, my fab beta. Now that I'm spelling her name correctly, maybe more of you will go read her stories after you read mine. You know, like the fuckawesome Backbeat which she just started or her older stories, Drawn, Stiletto, and Allegro. She's going to update one of those sooner than later, so go catch up!**

**Disclaimer: Only the dashing Mr. Danger belongs to me.**

Eric rose the next morning much later that he did the day before. He rolled over, noticing how much light their new curtains blocked out. He said a quick "thank you" to the creator of curtains and mini-blinds before turning back to his still sleeping girlfriend. Except there was no one in the bed with him. It was a rare occurrence that Sookie got up before him, and even rarer yet, she was able to get out of bed without waking him on the way out.

He would have panicked if it wasn't for the heavenly scent that began wafting towards the bedroom. It smelled like peaches, apples and cinnamon and that could only mean one thing: Sookie was up and baking. After pulling on a pair of lounge pants, just in case there were another set of early morning visitors, he made his way into the kitchen. He was greeted with a heavenly sight; Sookie in tight shorts, a tank top, and a red gingham apron tied around her waist. He never knew he had a Betty Crocker fetish until that very moment.

"Someone's up awfully early."

"Try again, sleepyhead. Someone slept in awfully late."

He found the clock on the wall, and had to rub the sleep out of his eyes to make sure he was reading it correctly. It couldn't be noon; he hadn't slept that late in ages. She handed him a mug of coffee, which he glad accepted, taking a seat at the kitchen table. He watched her put the finishing touches on yet another pie; this one appeared to be pear. He spotted the peach cobbler cooling on the counter, which was soon joined by the apple pie she had just taken from the oven. Cinnamon and brown sugar flooded his nose; his stomach loudly protested to being teased in such a merciless way.

All he wanted to eat was the delicious cobbler that was tormenting him from the counter. He didn't even need a plate, all he required was a fork. He tried to sneak over to it for a taste, but got a firm kick in the behind for his efforts.

"That's for later when everyone gets here! Don't you dare touch one crumb of either of those. There's plenty to eat in the fridge, make yourself a sandwich or something."

"Can't you make it for me? You look so domestic and sexy right now." He accentuated his statement with a pout, hoping to win some brownie points, or cobbler points in this case.

She rolled her eyes at him, mumbling under her breath about how incapable he was at completing the simplest tasks. She peaked into the oven to check on her pear tart when something cold started dripping down her shoulder. The cold sensation was quickly replaced with Eric's hot mouth as he sucked whatever the substance was clean.

"What do you think you're doing?"

"I went in the fridge to find something to eat and decided you looked particularly edible. Just a little chocolate syrup to sweeten things up."

She felt another drop of cold hit the opposite side of her neck, and the familiar feeling of Eric's lips cleaning the trail it left. "Lover, I didn't think you could taste any sweeter, but I guess I was wrong. I could lick this off of your skin all day."

He turned her around, picking her up and depositing her on the kitchen counter. He started another drop at her collarbone, letting it trail down her chest a bit before licking and sucking the sensitive skin. He didn't stop once the syrup ran out, but continued up her neck to nibble on her earlobes. She was moaning, purring his name as he continued his ministrations.

"Eric, you have to stop. That tart is going to burn if you keep distracting me."

"This is exactly what I'd be doing to you if you stayed in bed with me this morning. Well, probably not with the chocolate. We might have to invest in a mini fridge though. What else do we have in there I can lick off parts of your body?"

"You really have to stop. I need to babysit the oven. There's not much of a difference between perfectly cooked and burnt to a crisp."

He sighed, pulling back to look her dead in the eye. "Fine, I can take a hint when my attentions are not wanted. I'll just go eat whatever is left from what Tara brought over. But the minute that pie pan hits the counter, all bets are off."

He took the container of baked goods back to the kitchen table to sit and sulk. She didn't dare turn around to face him; she knew once she saw the lust in his eyes, she wouldn't be able to keep her hands off of him. It took all her willpower to stop him earlier and couldn't give herself the window of opportunity now, not when her tart was so close to being done. The minute the crust started to brown, she grabbed her oven mitts and took it out, placing it on the rack to cool.

True to his word, she was back in his arms, his lips covering hers. He had abandoned his topping of choice, opting to lick, suck and bite every inch of available skin. He stripped her tank top off, her shorts the moment after. When she reached around to untie her apron, he growled in her ear, "Leave it on."

Offering his second silent prayer of the day, he gave another set of thanks to whoever designed this kitchen. When he lifted Sookie onto the counter, she was at the perfect height. No need to worry about uncomfortable angles, as soon as her legs wrapped around his waist he thrust right into her in one stroke. He loved the way her entire body clenched around him, her arms tightening around his neck, her legs pulling at his waist to get him even deeper inside her, and most importantly, her warm sheath that contracted around his member. It was as if their bodies were made for each other, a perfect fit in every way.

Hearing her scream out her desire was one of his favorite things. For a moment, he even regretted inviting their friends to stay at the house; knowing it meant having to stay quiet during sex. He was happy she thought to come down early so they could properly enjoy each other's bodies as loudly as they pleased.

Their bodies rocked against each other, speeding towards their release. Neither wanted the moment to end, but they were both far past the point of stopping or slowing down. Sookie shifted forward a bit, changing the angle ever so slightly, but it was enough to start the fireworks behind her eyes. With one more thrust, Sookie came with a scream, Eric toppling right over the edge with her.

He backed up from the counter, noticing the angry red line running horizontally across his legs. The kitchen apparently was revolting against their actions, at least on the counters. He looked over at Sookie, who was still seated, legs spread wantonly, arms braced behind her, eyes closed and mouth parted slightly. She looked like a woman who had been properly fucked, and because of that, Eric beamed with pride. He liked knowing he would wear her out like no man ever could.

He helped Sookie down from the counter, but instead of finding her clothes, he led her to their shower. They were both drenched in sweat, in part from their activities but also due to the suffocating heat of the kitchen. The temperature was already in the high nineties, and the fact that the oven had been on all morning didn't help their situation. The house did have air conditioning, but when it was that hot, the cool air barely helped. They set the shower temperature relatively cool, hoping it would help cut the heat.

* * *

Sookie spent the better part of the afternoon tidying up a bit so everything would be ready for their friend's arrival. Eric had offered to pick them up at the airport, but realized they wouldn't all fit in the truck. It was a classic pickup, with just the three person bench seat. He could have gone with the extended cab, but he wanted the authentic experience. Instead, he kept out of Sookie's way by sitting on the porch with his notepad.

Now that he had a chance to spend some time around town, he was feeling inspired to write. The quiet of the backyard was a perfect writing environment. He always thought that he'd need the sounds of a city to feel right, but he was settling into country living easily. The din of traffic was replaced by the hum of birds and insects. He could hear Sookie working around the house, and the occasional car drive down Hummingbird Lane. They would definitely be spending time in Louisiana whenever they could. His career choice allowed him a great deal of freedom; vacation time depended on Sookie. She loved working at the bar, and her work ethic wouldn't allow her to take too much time off.

He'd never trade in life in New York permanently; he loved the rush of the city. Everyone needed time to slow down every now and then and Bon Temps was the perfect location for that. It would never keep his attention for long, but would serve its purpose as a vacation home. Sookie obviously loved this house, and he was happy he gave it back to her. Once she stopped being upset at his high handedness, she was thankful to have it back in the family.

Between writing and daydreaming, Eric was snapped back to reality by the sudden increase in noise in the house. He wandered back inside to see Amelia, Tray, Sam and Daphne all hugging Sookie. As soon as he was in reaching distance, Amelia launched herself into his arms as if they hadn't seen each other in months, as opposed to three days ago. He shared a manly handshake with Sam and Tray, and a more demure hug from Daphne. Amelia was immediately up the stairs to claim the best bedroom. Sookie followed behind her to show her the renovations. Apparently, Amelia had spent some time at the house during their collegiate years.

Eric took the remaining three around the house, showing them the improvements that had occurred. He brought everyone out to the porch to show off his favorite view. It was nothing new to Sam, but for city folk like Daphne and Tray, the massive yard was breathtaking. Amelia and Sookie soon joined them and Amelia announced they were all heading to Merlotte's for a burger. Poor Daphne looked scared out of her mind at the prospect of meeting the parents, but agreed to go along anyway since she was starving. She and Sam would be staying at the Merlotte's home; she would have to bite the bullet and meet them.

They piled back into their respective vehicles, heading down to the local hang out. The new faces received the same treatment that Sookie and Eric had last night; one full of hugs and questions. Maryanne Merlotte had tears streaming down her eyes at seeing her only son for the first time in a few years. Most people never left Bon Temps; the mass exodus a few years ago was a shock to the community. Eric saw the desperate look in Tray's eyes; he wasn't used to a reception like this. Eric came in, wrapping an arm around the other man's shoulders and snuck him away from the group. The appreciation was obvious on Tray's face.

They moved two tables together to make enough room for the six friends. Soon enough, the Dixie Draft was flowing by the pitcher and the table was covered in deep fried goodness. Their conversation dictated the pace of the entire restaurant; their boisterous nature taking over the usual sleepy lunch crowd. Eric looked over at Sookie, who by some random act, ended up at the opposite end of the table. She was finally starting to look comfortable in her hometown. He had the feeling that when Jason showed up with the rest of the gang, she would finally be completely at ease.

As much fun as they were having together, he knew that something was missing for her. He didn't realize that void was filled by her friends. Home just didn't feel like home without the right people. That was a lesson he learned the hard way; it was what gave him the idea to invite Sookie to live with him. He knew that he just didn't feel right when she wasn't around.

If the locals thought the noise level was abnormally high before, it was nothing compared to the volume when Jason, Crystal, Hoyt and Jessica entered a few hours later. Sookie was shocked at their early arrival. Jason admitted to downing a case of Red Bull and driving straight through the night instead of stopping for sleep as originally planned. A quick phone call to Hotshot later, the number of people in the restaurant doubled with Crystal's relatives showing up to welcome her back to town.

Soon a pack of women were fawning over her slowly growing belly, and were making notes on napkins, putting together a bridal shower at the drop of a hat. Maryanne offered the restaurant, saying they'd shut it down for the private party for the afternoon. Eric wanted to say it wouldn't be necessary, since everyone in town would be invited, but kept that bit of snark to himself. He was spending far too much time with Pam for his own good.

He started to feel a little light headed; a wicked combination of too much beer in a too hot room with far too many people. He stepped outside for a little fresh air, happy to find the heat had broken once the sun went down. Finding his phone in his pocket, he dialed Pam, looking for an update. Clancy was his baby, and while this wasn't the longest he'd gone without his furry companion, he missed the little guy.

"Are you seriously calling me to ask about your dog? You're handing in your man card when you get home, I'll find you a nice vagina to match your new personality."

"Honestly, Pam, I just had to get out of that bar. These people are a little intense about everyone coming home. You would think they'd been gone forever with the reception they just got."

"Had a Deliverance moment yet? Do I need to break out the banjo music?"

"Funny. It's not that bad for the most part. The house is beautiful, the town is quaint, it's really nice. I'd never trade New York for Bon Temps, but it's a nice escape. Oh, and here's the part that will get your panties wet, I'm writing a fifth book set here."

"You're writing more? Fantastic! Send me something when you get a chance. But really, sending the fabulous Alexander Danger to Dixieland? Is that a good idea?"

"Yes, and so is that! _Danger in Dixie_, I like it!"

"Glad to be of assistance. Good to know I earn my keep around here. Did Amelia tell you that Bob wasn't really housebroken? Sure as shit she didn't tell me. That little fucker has peed on every carpet in my apartment. Pam Ravenscroft does not clean up another creature's bodily fluids."

"Maybe it's just because he's in a new environment. I don't think I ever saw him go in the house when I stayed the night at Sookie's. Why are you updating me on other's people's dogs before mine? How is Clancy?"

"He's fine. I've actually brought him to the office a few times, everyone loves Clancy. Fucking Bob is about to get euthanized if he does it again."

"I don't think Amelia would appreciate it if you killed her dog. Just put some newspaper down, he'll get the hint. Maybe."

"Mother fucker, he got into my closet! If he damages even one pair of Manolos, so help me God."

She hung up and Eric couldn't help put chuckle. Pam was not an animal lover by any means. He heard the door slam shut behind him, turning around to see Sookie heading towards him.

"Needed some air?"

"Yeah, it's a bit crowded in there. Called Pam for an update. How upset would Amelia be if Bob wasn't in one piece when she got home?"

"Heartbroken. She loves that little guy." She wrapped her arms around Eric's waist, snuggling close for a hug. "The wedding/baby talk is getting to me. Everyone keeps looking at me, and saying how I'll be next. I hate how a woman needs to be married with a gaggle of kids at twenty-seven to be considered happy. Don't they get that I'm perfectly happy with my life the way it is?"

"All that matters is that you're happy. Fuck them all. We're only here for two weeks, then we get back to New York, where the people who know nothing about you judge you at least have the decency to do so behind your back."

She laughed, squeezing him a little tighter as he pressed a kiss to the top of her head. They headed back inside to enjoy the rest of the night. It was getting late, and the effects of the day's travels were starting to show on everyone's faces. After another round of hugs and kisses, people started to head towards their respective housing.

* * *

Once back at the farmhouse, Sookie showed Hoyt and Jess around, letting Hoyt get reacquainted with the layout. After the new arrivals put their things away, Sookie brought out her baking so they had something to eat while talking. Settling around the living room, they finally had a chance to have a real conversation without the din of the bar. Eric filled Amelia in on Bob's new behaviors, which seemed to upset her. She promised a call to Pam in the morning to offer some tips that worked in the past.

Hoyt had them in stitches telling them about the insane drive with Jason behind the wheel. They had made the drive before, in the opposite direction, and without a pregnant Crystal. Stopping every few hours so she could pee was annoying and the reason Jason decided to drive all night. If Crystal was sleeping, they wouldn't have to stop at every rest stop they passed.

When the baked goods started to dwindle and the yawning couldn't be stopped, they decided to call it a night. They retreated to their separate bedrooms, getting ready for bed. No sooner than Eric and Sookie curled into bed, the silence in the house was broken by a steady, rhythmic creaking. Sex in the old house would have to get creative if they didn't want everyone to know what was going on. When the moaning started, Sookie was reminded of the days they shared an apartment. Amelia wasn't quiet on a good day, and it was obvious she wasn't letting the company get in her way.

Someone pounding on the front door was becoming the most common way for Eric to wake up, but was still his least favorite. He begrudgingly rolled away from Sookie and made his way to stop the noise. Opening the front door, he was greeted by Pam with Clancy's leash and her suitcase in one hand and Bob's carrier thrown over her other shoulder. Thrusting all three items at Eric, she strolled into the house, removing her designer sunglasses.

"He destroyed two thousand dollars worth of shoes before I could stop him. I got on the first plane out here, which just so happened to be the corporate jet. I told Mr. de Castro that you were having a mental breakdown in a hicktown and I had to come save you. So when you get back, act a little shaken up in the office. What, you're not going to give me the tour?"

"Pam, it's eight in the morning. We all stayed up late last night. There's an empty bedroom upstairs and another down here across from our room. Take your pick and leave me alone. Come on, Clancy."

Eric walked down the hallway, leaving a surprised Pam in the living room. He curled back up in bed, feeling the comfortable, familiar feeling of Clancy's weight on his feet. Sookie mumbled something resembling "Who was it?" He filled her in on the details of Pam's stay, positive she was unconscious before his explanation was even done. He fell back asleep spooning behind her. He'd be better equipped to deal with his pissed off editor after a little more shut eye.

**A/N2: Clancy's back! He's my favorite golden, and I missed him oodles! I just had to figure out a way to get him (and Pam) to Bon Temps since they're so fun to write. **

**Now that the gang's all here, the real action can get started. What's going to happen to Sookie and Eric now that everyone's talkin babies? Leave a little love by clicking that green button and leaving a review!**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: This is a (mostly) fun silly chapter that was inspired while I was high on Dayquil. I added the first half to round out the tone of the chapter. Let's face it, the entire thing was written while high out of my mind on cold medication. Chiisai-kitty, my amazing beta, assures me that it makes sense, so I'll have to take her word for it. **

**In other news, my stories have yet another new home. I've starting backing my stories up on the BloodBondsBlog Forum, a link can be found on my profile. Dear Pam updated today with awesome questions from seastarr08, Sweet Sookie, SVMaddict, and morecks. You can still send me questions here via PM or as replies on the forum. Check it out if you get the chance!**

**Terminal Attraction updated at midnight. If you haven't read the new chapter you should. It's crazy sexy. Ok, that's enough self pimpage. On to the chapter.**

**Disclaimer: Alexander Danger and Susannah Renard are mine. Nothing else is.**

Eric woke again a few hours later to another empty bed. Even Clancy had abandoned him. The blissful silence ended quickly as Sookie stormed in, a grinning Pam in tow. This would not end well for the still groggy author.

"You left Pam sitting in the middle of the living room surrounded by her bags without even showing her to a bedroom? What type of host are you? My Gran would roll in her grave with that type of reception!"

Eric pulled the pillow over his head, hoping to block the bitch out he was currently receiving. Sookie wasn't having it.

"Don't you ignore me! She is a guest in our home and you abandoned her just so you could go back to sleep!"

"You didn't even wake up to the pounding at the door! Why are you yelling at me?"

"I pride myself on my hostess skills and you made Pam feel less than welcome."

"Pam showed up uninvited on our doorstep at eight in the morning. Why should I feel obligated to put myself out for her? I just wanted to go back to sleep."

"It doesn't matter if she was invited or not, she's still a guest. I helped her get settled down in the bedroom next to ours. We'll need to go out to get some fresh sheets and other necessities for around the house."

"Knock yourself out. The keys to the truck are on the front table."

"You're coming with us."

"Nope. I'm going to go have breakfast and take Clancy for a hike around the property. I'm guessing he'll like the new environment. Plus, I dreamed about Susannah last night so I want to write a bit more."

Pam took that opportunity to chime in. "Don't play the writing card. Get your ass out of bed so we can head into town."

"Go. Without. Me. Take anyone you want, but the both of you need to leave me the fuck alone right now."

"Someone's a little grumpy this morning. Come on, Pam, we'll leave the five year old to have his hissy fit."

They walked out of the room and after a few minutes, he peeled himself out of bed and made his way into the kitchen. He was thankful there was still coffee in the pot, pouring it out into a mug and starting a second pot, feeling he would need it. He could hear people rummaging around out on the porch, and went out to see who stayed behind. He found Tray and Hoyt playing cards and sat down to drink his coffee with them. Clancy and Bob were tethered in the yard, taking turns chasing each other.

"That was a nice little screaming match we heard. Sook gathered the girls and declared it time to shop. Want to voice your side?"

"God, Tray, she just caught me in a weak moment. I had just woken up for the second time after Pam woke me up way too early. Pam has known me far too long and knows how to push my buttons. I'm sure she exaggerated everything when she told Sookie what happened this morning."

"Amelia always makes me make decisions first thing in the morning. That girl is the epitome of morning person. Makes me want to punch something when she comes bouncing into the bedroom at seven AM making plans for the rest of the day. I just agree with whatever she says; that keeps her happy."

"See, Jess and I don't have that problem. We both work the same shift since we're on the same show. We always go to bed together and wake up together."

"Sookie is the opposite of a morning person. I usually have to lure her out of bed with the promises of coffee. I see this trip as a vacation; I just want to sleep in and not get shit for it."

The other men agreed with him and they clinked coffee mugs as a sign of unity. Tray went to get two bowls of water for the dogs while Hoyt shuffled the cards.

"I heard Sookie planning dinner on the phone with Jason. Sounds like everybody's meeting up here for a big Stackhouse style meal and game night."

"Game night?"

"Yeah, when we were younger, there was nothing fun to do on the weekends. Gran was super protective of Jason and Sookie; didn't like them heading out into Shreveport to look for trouble. There was always a stack of games to play, so all our friends would meet up here and play games all night. As we got older, the games got interesting and alcohol was usually involved. Sounds like that's what's happening tonight."

"Hopefully I get an invite after our morning spat. I look forward to it. I think I'm going to take a walk with Clancy and get some writing done. Try not to burn the house down while I'm gone, okay?"

Eric went back inside to change and get his notebook. After throwing on a pair of khakis, a black tank top and sneakers, he grabbed Clancy and headed for the stream that marked his property line. The only nature the dog had been exposed to was Central Park, so all the new sights and smells were driving him wild. After they reached the water, Eric sat down and started writing. He wrapped Clancy's leash around his ankle and let his mind drift back to his dream.

Susannah's crime spree was heading down to Louisiana, and Danger was getting nervous. The sleuth in him wouldn't let him drop the case, but his sense of self preservation was telling him to stop. His sense of paranoia was getting the better of him, and visions of Susannah were haunting him every moment of everyday. Eric just finished writing a scene where Danger follows what he believes to be Susannah, but is just his imagination, when Eric heard twigs breaking behind him. He and Clancy turned around in unison to a giggling Sookie.

"The two of you were meant for each other, a pair of scaredy cats. You've been gone a long time, get a lot of work done?"

"What time is it? I left the house about noon." She sat down next to him, just out of reach. Neither could gauge the other's emotions after their disagreement that morning.

"It's just after five. Dinner's just about ready. I made your favorite; pot roast with all the fixings."

"Thank you. I'm sorry I yelled this morning, Pam pissed me off by just showing up unannounced and you caught me just as I woke up."

"I get that. I'm the same way bright and early. Pam said you were rude and I just can't stand rude people. But I think your behavior was justified. I don't like fighting with you."

He put his notebook down and pulled her into his arms. Her back was to his chest, and they watched the stream trickle by. Clancy occupied himself chasing leaves that were being carried by the current.

"I know this used to be home for you, but this is a vacation for me. Let's just be relaxed while we're down here, especially while the wedding plans haven't kicked into hyper speed yet. Our friends can fend for themselves, especially Pam. I don't want you to feel like you have to play hostess the entire time we're here."

"Sounds like a good deal to me. We both need time to just relax a little bit more. I think everyone will chill out tonight. We bought a ton of booze and have a fun night planned."

"Perfect. Alcohol makes everything better. Especially with a house full of people. Let's head back, shall we?"

He rose to his feet and helped her up after brushing leaves off his pants. He went to walk back to the house but Sookie wouldn't budge.

"We had a fight. Time to kiss it better."

He pulled her into his arms and pressed his lips to hers. His hands went to her waist and hers wrapped around his neck as the kiss deepened. Tongues fought for dominance, and they only pulled apart when the need to oxygen was too great. Clancy decided it was time to go home to eat and caught Eric off guard as he pulled him in the right direction.

"It's game night!"

The non-Bon Temps residents had no idea what was going on, but those originally from Louisiana were running around the house to get things ready. The wine bottle from earlier that night was removed from the recycling and everyone started to get in a circle on the floor. Jason started laughing, obviously having consumed a little too much alcohol over the night. In fact, Crystal was the only sober person in the house, and was mighty unhappy about it. Jason attempted to sit on the floor, but to the casual observer, it looked like collapsing.

"So I guess this means we're starting with spin the bottle right? Anyone object to that?"

Sookie took another swig from her wine glass before sitting next to her brother. Eric plopped down next to her and kissed her before she could respond. She pulled back smiling, and finally answered her brother.

"We don't have a whole lot of choices, Jase. It's not like we have the game closet anymore. We'll have to play games that don't have boards or pieces. Like spin the bottle or truth or dare."

"Oh my God, we need to play seven minutes in heaven." Pam was the next to come up with a suggestion. She was on her fifth martini and had been eyeing Amelia all evening. Tray didn't seem to mind; it certainly wouldn't be their first tryst together. Memories of last Thanksgiving played through his mind and he was refilling Amelia's glass before she could notice.

Bottle in hand, Sookie tried her best to set the ground rules in her intoxicated state. "Okay, there are people of all sexual preferences here so we won't discriminate. Everybody has to kiss whoever the bottle lands on for at least five seconds. Tongue is optional. If Jason or I land on each other, we don't have to kiss because that's not legal, even in this state." She giggled as if that was the funniest joke she ever told.

She put the bottle in the middle of the circle and gave it a good spin. It landed on Sam so she crawled over to him, giving him a kiss. Eric probably should have cared more, but it was all innocent fun. He was secure in his relationship with Sookie; anything else could be blamed on alcohol. The next few spins weren't interesting at all, no one really getting into the spirit of things.

That is until Jessica's spin landed on Pam. Eric saw the wicked gleam cross his friend's eyes and knew the poor redhead would be in for trouble. Pam beckoned Jess to her with one finger, and Jess did her best sexy crawl across the floor. Pam grabbed her face when she was in close enough; planting a sexy, sensual kiss that made it clear tongue was certainly involved. Hoyt started to get uncomfortable; shifting in his seat while his girlfriend made out with another woman. He would never make mention of this night to his mother, that was blatantly clear.

When Pam finally released a breathless Jessica, she waited until her newest conquest went back to her seat to take her spin. When the bottle stopped on Eric, she had a good laugh. She had been friends with Eric for nearly ten years and they had never kissed in the past. Eric gave her a smug smile, waiting for her to cross the circle. Pam wasted no time in making out with Eric, much to Sookie's chagrin. Her kiss with Sam was innocent; this would make even Ron Jeremy blush.

Sookie stood up suddenly, "Okay, enough kissing, let's play truth or dare!"

"Aw, Sookie, you always ruin my fun."

"Well, Pam, as much fun as it is to watch you make out with my boyfriend, truth or dare is way better!"

Sookie ran into the bedroom and emerged with one of Eric's writing pads. She tore off a piece of paper for everyone, passing them around the entire circle. She found a few pens stashed around the house and passed those out too. Next she ran into the kitchen and brought out two large mixing bowls. "Here's the deal. Everyone needs to write a few truths and a few dares. You also get to write one 'circle truth' and 'circle dare' that everyone has to do. Tear each of them off the page and toss them into a bowl. Then we'll go around the circle and you pick either from the truth bowl or the dare bowl."

"After this we're playing seven minutes in heaven, right?"

"No, Pam, this isn't like your first boy/girl party in high school. Everyone here's coupled off, besides you."

That sounded harsh even in Sookie's drunk brain. Amelia seemed to pick up on Sookie's discomfort, and pulled Pam in for a hug. "Don't worry, Pammy, Tray will let you snuggle with us tonight. No need to feel left out."

Tray's face displayed his satisfied smirk, nodding his approval at Amelia's plan. Jason gave him a pat on the back after making a very jealous remark.

After a few minutes of writing, they were ready to start the game. After a few truths revealed tame questions, Sam decided to be brave and draw from the dare pile. After reading it silently, his face paled and the entire circle demanded he read it out loud for them all to hear. He refused, so Daphne grabbed it from his hand and did the honor, but not before hysterically laughing herself.

"Strip naked and run two laps around the outside of the house."

After being denied a penalty, Sam went into the kitchen, out of the line of sight of the others, and took off all his clothes. The minute the screen door slammed shut, everyone ran to a window to watch to make sure Sam made good on his dare. His naked flesh was a blur as he ran at his top speed around the perimeter of the farmhouse, not looking at the windows in fear of what he might see.

When he returned inside after his mandatory laps, he quickly dressed and came back into the living room where he was greeted with cat calls by his friends. His blush was obvious and he swore that he was done with the dare bowl. Daphne gave him a supportive kiss on the cheek once he sat back down before taking her turn. She drew from the truth bowl, obviously scared she would have to do something embarrassing as well.

"Oh, you guys, it's the first circle truth! How old were you when you lost your virginity? Well, I guess I get to start it off. I was sixteen."

Everyone responded in turn. Hoyt was slightly embarrassed to reveal he didn't lose his until he was twenty-three. Eric was the youngest at fourteen, which surprised a few friends. He shrugged, writing it off on being Swedish and therefore more open minded about sex.

After everyone had drawn, and most were thoroughly embarrassed, it was time to go around the circle again. Jason was the first to draw, announcing a new rule that everyone had to draw from the opposite bowl they did the first time. He picked out his dare and started to laugh.

"Grab the bottle and give it a spin. Give a lap dance to whoever it lands on."

He reached for the bottle, giving it a vigorous twist. When it stopped, the mouth of the bottle was directly between Sookie and Eric. To avoid grossing everyone out by dancing for his sister, he grabbed Eric's hand and pulled the larger man up. Sookie ran to the bedroom, grabbing her iPod and speakers. She queued up David Rose's classic striptease song, "The Stripper" and Jason immediately began dancing for Eric. The casual roll to Jason's hip suggested he had done this before, but no one could stop laughing long enough to ask. Crystal shook her head in shame, wondering just what she was marrying. Eric played along, playfully slapping Jason's ass when he bent over, asking for it. Jason stripped to his boxer briefs and was about to take those off too when a collective "Stop!" was screamed from the room.

When it was Eric's turn to draw a truth, and he recognized Sookie's handwriting immediately. He wondered if some part of her mind hoped he would draw the slip, even though she had voiced her disinterest in getting married in the near future.

"Would you consider marrying your current partner?"

He could feel the heat of having the entire room staring at him. He could envision a life together with Sookie but still hadn't come to the conclusion on if that involved getting married or not. He knew his friends thought they were the perfect couple, so he decided to just be honest with them.

"Is maybe a good enough answer?" Amelia, who was near the couch, did not like the answer and threw a pillow at Eric's head to show her displeasure. "Okay, I get it, no copping out during drunk truth or dare. I'm not sure if I'll ever get married again, but if I did, it would be to Sookie."

That got him a kiss from Sookie and a few aw's, especially from the ladies in the room. They kept playing another few rounds, until all the slips were gone. It was nearing midnight by the time they finished playing and Crystal made it clear that it was time to go home. Sam and Daphne weren't far behind; so all that was left in the house were those staying there. Hoyt suggested another round of games, but everyone groaned. It was late and as the alcohol wore

off, they were getting tired.

After letting Bob and Clancy do their business in the backyard, Eric and Amelia joined the others in heading off to sleep. Eric curled up behind Sookie; feeling as if everything in the world was right in that moment. He had an amazing woman in his arms and his dog's weight on his feet.

"Did you mean it?"

"Mean what?" He knew exactly what she was referring to, but needed her to ask it out loud.

She turned in his arms so she could look in his eyes during their conversation. "If you ever changed your mind about marriage, would you marry me?"

"It's not if I change my mind, it's when I make up my mind. I'm still undecided on that front. But if we're ever in a place where marriage feels right, then I'm all for it."

"It's a nice tax break. Bill told me that the night after he proposed. Wasn't he romantic?"

Eric put on his best Bill impression, "Darling Sookie, won't you marry me? We'll save so much on our taxes next fiscal year!"

Sookie started to laugh out loud, before placing a hand over her mouth to muffle the sound. Unlike Amelia, who was currently vocalizing how much she loved what Tray and Pam were doing to her, Sookie took other's attempts at sleep into consideration. Eric brushed the stray hairs out of her face as she settled back against the pillows.

"I'm happy where we are right now. From what you said last night, I get the feeling you are too."

"I am. I'm happy being your live-in girlfriend. I know we have a future together and that's all I need to know."

She kissed the tip of his nose before kissing his waiting lips. "You know, Lover, with all the noise they're making, no one can hear us. We haven't had an intimate moment since everyone showed up."

"I like the way you think. Clancy, off the bed!"

**A/N2: Send me some review love! It makes my cold get better!! Next chapter will have plot progression, I swear!**


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: *peeks in* March 13th? Really? Wow, time flies when Pilot E is rocking your world. Sorry I've been neglecting this story, folks. My muses ran away from me and I just couldn't make myself write Dixie if I tried. After a little (well a lot) of encouragement from the ladies on Twitter, I got my ass in gear. A TON of gratitude to A Redhead Thing for listening to me rant about where I wanted to take this story and offering me a ton of guidance on how to get there. Chiisai-kitty, beta extrordinare, also offered her input on my outline, telling me I'm not a complete failure, which always makes a girl feel good. Thank you!**

**The real push to get this chapter out came from the Support Stacie auction, which I am a part of. I posted Terminal Attraction early last week to promote it and now I'm using Dixie to close it. The auction ends TONIGHT at 9pm Central Time! Get your last minute bids in before it's too late! I have two auctions going, one for a TA chapter/outtake and the other is a general story. You can take any of my existing characters or create your own! Just bid people!!**

**Disclaimer: Not Mine**

The next two weeks flew by in a blur of wedding planning activities. At every possible avenue of intersection, Sookie was reminded of how living in sin was perceived as inappropriate by the community. She wished that she had never opened her mouth to reveal that she had moved in with Eric a few months prior. She had originally hoped that would make them see the pair was on the path towards marriage, but no one else seemed to see it her way.

She silently wondered if she really was heading towards the wedding of her dreams. What twenty-something year old girl doesn't fantasize about the big wedding with all her friends and family to watch her marry the man of her dreams? Sookie was no different; she just put it on the back burner until Eric was on the same page. But the pokes and prods of every woman in town wears down a girl's resolve.

On several occasions, Sookie accompanied her soon to be sister in law into town, sometimes Monroe and other times to Shreveport, for pre-wedding shopping. Sookie was forced to listen to her ramble on and on about how amazing and perfect the wedding would be. Every time, Sookie was forced to inwardly roll her eyes since a shotgun wedding was far from her idea of perfect. Jason had never been the brightest bulb in the box, but he knew better than to play Russian Roulette with protection. When Crystal revealed her pregnancy to him, he thought it was a ploy to get him to settle down, but after a doctor's visit confirmed it, he knew he had to do the right thing.

After the first shopping trip, Sookie knew better than to do it alone and enlisted the help of Amelia, Jessica and the occasion Pam. On rare trips, Crystal's mother, Mary Elizabeth, even came along for the ride. The two Norris' together was more than Sookie could bear. The incessant chatter about babies and weddings was enough to make Sookie's head spin.

Since Crystal would be moving in with Jason, and they both had fully furnished homes in New York, they had opted not to register for gifts. They instead took what Sookie considered to be a tacky route and asked for cash donations to help fund their move into a bigger home and their eventual honeymoon. Sookie could already foresee babysitting the youngest Stackhouse while the wedded couple ran off to some tropical location. At least it would give Eric a little more experience with babies. To hit up her family even further, Crystal was having an early baby shower so her relatives would not have to travel up North for one closer to her due date.

On their most recent excursion, they ordered a make shift altar to be set up in the backyard. When Sookie asked Crystal who she believed would build the monstrosity after eyeing the "Assembly Needed" label, she wrote it off to "the boys." Sookie couldn't help but laugh at the thought of her author, the actor, the businessman, the bartender, and the muscle-head trying to put it together. It was unnecessary to say the soon to be relatives did not speak much for the rest of that day.

Crystal's bridal shower had been the afternoon from hell. The entire town of Hotshot had crawled out of their trailers and took over Merlotte's like a hick infestation. Crystal insisted on it being co-ed, filling the restaurant to capacity. As maid of honor, Sookie was running the show, trying to coordinate games and activities but no one would pay her any mind. They were too busy fawning over Crystal and her barely there baby bump. After nearly two hours of failed attempts, Sookie found a safe haven next to Eric in a back booth far from the judgmental eyes of the entire town.

As things began to finally wind down, every guest made their way to the back table where the New York transplants had set up shop. If one more person told Sookie and Eric, "You're next!" she was going to punch them square in the jaw. She was comforted by the fact that Jessica and Hoyt were receiving the same treatment. As actors, they were both better in schooling their features to hide the rage that boiled underneath the surface. Sookie was unsure if Jess could survive another week of Maxine's constant inquiry and insult.

They insisted on staying behind to help clean up after the bulk of the guests had left. It was still early in the afternoon; Merlotte's would be able to open for the evening crowd. As soon as the dining area was back in order, Don fired up the grill and made dinner for those that remained. Eric picked up on Sookie's tiredness and offered to take her back home ahead of their house guests. Considering the crowd she was feeding, Sookie had been cooking up a storm. There were enough leftovers in the refrigerator to feed the entire wedding party.

As soon as they were back in the farmhouse, Sookie began to wander into the kitchen but was stopped as Eric picked her up. He carried her to the bedroom, despite her shouts of how tired and hungry she was. He set her down on the edge of the tub and as he turned the knobs and pressed the proper buttons, the Jacuzzi roared to life. At the sight of the powerful jets of water, Sookie's eyes widened; her mind distracted from food and sleep in favor of pure relaxation. She started to strip her clothes, but was stopped when Eric wrapped his much larger hands around her own.

"You've done enough work this week and I feel like I've been no help. Let me take care of you for the rest of the night."

She wasn't one to argue. She relaxed into his touch; his fingers ghosting over her skin as he delicately removed her clothing. He left her side briefly to retrieve one of her hair clips, using it to hold the pile of blonde curls on top of her head. Next he guided her into the water, making sure her back was situated properly to receive the full treatment from the tub. Eric sat down on the floor, leaning against the tub, and started to rub her shoulders. Wanting to focus on relieving her stress, he forced his hands to stay away from her full breasts that were teasing him just below the surface of the water. The moans of pleasure she was making as he kneaded away the knots that had formed weren't helping much either.

"Eric, if you really want to make this all about me, you'll get in this tub right now."

He was never one to turn down a request from her, so he tore off his own clothes and joined her in the water. He sat in front of her, facing her, and pulled one of her long legs into his lap. He started at the ball of her foot, using just enough pressure to feel good. He worked his way up her leg, as far as his long arms could reach, before switching sides. Between his nimble fingers and the powerful stream of water supplied by the tub, Sookie was feeling looser than she had in days. As his fingers worked their way up the insides of her thighs, Sookie caught her second wind.

"There's just one place left for you to massage, darling."

He quirked his eyebrow at her, half surprised she was still awake and the other half relieved that his plan to get laid had worked. He leaned towards her, getting a firm grip on her hips and pulling her body to his so she was straddling his waist.

"Not here. Tub sex is gross. You still mad at Pam?"

"I love the way you think."

After a quick toweling off, they ran across the hall to Pam's meticulously neat bedroom. Sookie laid down on the bed, flashing Eric her "fuck me" eyes to get his attention. She didn't need to try any harder; he was ready to give her anything she wanted. He kneeled between her legs, using his mouth to bring her pleasure. After just a few moments, she pulled him up her body for a kiss, tasting herself on his lips.

"You know I'm not one to turn down oral, but they're going to be back any minute. We'll take our time later, but this needs to be a quickie."

With a quick motion, he filled her. She screamed out, for the first time since their guests showed up. He loved when she could be noisy; he loved every sound of pleasure that poured from her lips. She had made her request for a quickie, but he was going to enjoy it while it lasted. His hands found their way to her breasts; using his expert fingers on her quickly hardening nipples.

She slipped a hand where their bodies joined, using her fingers to work her clit in time to his thrusts. He could feel her internal muscles clamping down around him and her screams and moans were turning to incoherent ramblings; signaling that she was close. He encouraged her to wrap her arms around his neck and sat back on his heels, settling into their favorite position. She kept her arms around him, wrapping her legs around his waist. They moved together knowing the perfect rhythm to get each other off.

Her fingers tightened their grip on his shoulders and back as her release approached. Her movements became quick and erratic, desperate to feel complete. His lips and teeth on her neck, his day's stubble grazing across her skin, was enough to send her over the edge. Every inch of her body contracted around his, crushing their bodies together. She wrapped her fingers in his hair, pulling and tugging tightly as her orgasm crested yet again. His was torn from his core with a long, low, groan.

As much as he wanted to lay there with her in his arms but they knew their friends would be back soon. They gathered their towels and ran back across the hall. Just as the bedroom door shut behind them, the sounds of the front door opening and their house guests returning filled the air. After a quick change, they joined everyone in the living room. There was not inch of available seating space; they were all sprawled out on the couches in an apparent food coma. Pam hadn't even noticed that Bob curled up in her lap for his nap time.

Eric and Sookie snuck by them for the kitchen to finally get something to eat. After they cleared out a good portion of the leftovers, Clancy made it clear that it was time for a walk. Sookie's eyes silently begged Eric not to ask her to come along. She wanted to join her friends in their group nap. Since Eric was the only one in the house physically capable, he leashed up both dogs and took them for a stroll down Hummingbird Lane.

It was a beautiful night, so they just kept walking until poor little Bob couldn't keep up anymore. There are several downfalls to having little legs. As they neared the old farmhouse, a mailbox on the opposite end of the road caught Eric's eye; Compton. Bill had kept his distance, but poor Selah just couldn't take the hint. Every time she ran into Sookie while they were out, Selah made it a point to try and repair their relationship.

An evil, juvenile thought passed through Eric's mind as he eyed the full bags in his hand. As much as he wanted to dispose of the waste, he also didn't want to stir up trouble. Perhaps a strongly worded letter would be the more mature way to approach the situation. Clancy must have picked up on his master's inner debate as he lifted his leg and marked the post. The look he gave Eric let them know they were on the same page. When he got back inside and made sure both dogs were given treats, he caught Pam's hateful glare.

"You fucked on my bed, didn't you?"

"What are you talking about? We came back from Merlotte's, took a soak in the tub and ate dinner."

"My bed smells like sex and my pillow is wet. A bath explains the later and a little honesty would explain the first."

He flashed her a bright smile, even though she was immune to his charm. "Pam, I wouldn't know what you're talking about. Didn't you see that Sookie's hair is bone dry? She had it up in a clip. Maybe Bob found his way to your pillow? You know how he likes to pee on your stuff exclusively."

She looked down at the Boston Terrier who was looking up at her with that typical doggie smile. "Sometimes, Northman, I hate you so bad. Just so you know, I was snooping in your stuff and found your notebooks. I couldn't read half of it, but I liked what I could. Really, you've been living here for ten years; stop writing in Swedish."

"Stop going through my stuff! You know I send you copies once it's cleaned up. Your stealthiness aside, you liked what I wrote?"

"Yeah, I like a vulnerable Danger. It keeps it interesting. Run with it. Isn't it nice living with your editor?"

"Fantastic. Speaking of people I actually like living with, where's Sookie?"

"She headed towards the bedroom to pass out. You know, your bedroom where it's socially acceptable to fuck. Not my bedroom where it's nasty."

He walked to the back of the house, opening the door slowly. Just as Pam said, Sookie was fast asleep in bed. Eric kicked off his shoes, slid out of his clothes, and joined her; pulling her into his arms where she immediately settled in. Even though he didn't think he was tired, the steady breathing of the warm body in his arms knocked him right out.

* * *

Jason's bachelor party was held three days before the wedding. Tray had suggested having it the night before, but with plans of heavy drinking in the mix, no one wanted to be hungover. Jason had booked a car service to drive them back and forth from Shreveport to prevent the battle over designated driver. Since Calvin Norris, Crystal's father, had invited himself along, the strip club had been taken out of the mix. Jason had no desire to stare at nude women with his future father in law sitting right beside him.

The plan morphed into an all day fishing trip and all night binge drinking. Don offered up his boat and a case of beer to ease the boredom. Eric knew he'd be bored all day on the boat; he'd never seen the point of sitting all day on a lake for catch and release. He wanted to bring his notepad, but Sookie shot down that idea fast. She saw it as bonding time for him and Jason; considering her older brother was some of the only family she had left. As soon as the words left her mouth, she slapped a hand over her mouth as a look of shock crossed her features. Eric tried to decipher what was wrong.

"Um, I kinda told my cousin that she, her husband and their five year old could stay here with us since we still had one more bedroom open. I may have forgotten to mention that to you. Blame the craziness of the shower."

Eric dragged a hand down his face. A packed to capacity house was not what he had planned on for their Southern excursion. Sookie could read the aggravation on his face and tried to defuse the situation.

"Hadley, Remy, and Hunter won't take up much space! The wedding is this Saturday, they're coming up on Friday night and leaving Sunday morning. I can't put my family out. I've got Jason and Hadley and that's it!"

He pulled his tank top over his head, rubbing suntan lotion on all the exposed places. He tried to come up with a nicer comeback but failed. "How often can you pull the 'I have so little family,' card? Do you see me playing the 'dead wife,' card, or the 'my entire family is on the opposite end of the ocean,' card? Do you realize that last night was the first full night's sleep we've gotten? Or that this is the least relaxing vacation ever? Or that we've spent nearly every day fighting?"

"We weren't fighting today until you just picked one. Besides, you bought this house so everyone would have a comfortable place to stay."

"I bought this house to make you happy. That was just an excuse to stop you from ripping my head off after you found out. We should have just stayed at a hotel."

"You're welcome to go check into one; the nearest motel is thirty minutes up the road."

"May I remind you that this is my house? You seriously want to kick me out of it?"

"You're being a prick and I'm sick of it. Please leave for your fishing trip. Get extra drunk so maybe you'll be nicer once you get home."

The afternoon on the boat was surprisingly relaxing. Between the gentle rocking of the boat, the casual conversation and the near endless supply of beer, Eric actually found himself enjoying the male bonding. When the conversation turned to the women, things began to get awkward. Luckily, Tray didn't have filter.

"Everyone heard you and Sook throwing down today. What's going on?"

"We're just not seeing eye to eye. She's stressed out and just taking it out on me so she doesn't snap at any of you. That wouldn't be the proper thing for a hostess to do."

Jason tossed him another beer before offering him a bit of moral support. "She's a psycho with shit like that. Just be a good man, keep your mouth shut, and do what she says. That's how I handle Crystal's pregnancy crazy."

He shut his mouth, rethinking his next choice of words after the dirty look he got from Calvin. "Ya know, if you really want to calm her down, just put a ring on her finger."

"I don't think that's it. She keeps saying how she doesn't want to get married and how the pressure from everyone in town is killing her."

Cal took the opportunity to chime in and offer his two cents. "Take it from a man who's been married for thirty years. Women say the exact opposite of what they think. Always." After getting a brief rundown the week's turmoil, he thought it over. "Oh yeah, she wants to get hitched. Sorry, brother, you're screwed. Here's what you gotta do; appease her for the rest of the weekend and then head home as soon as possible. She's been there for you, now you gotta be there for her."

Eric thought over what the older Norris was telling him. He knew that Calvin was right and that he had overreacted this morning. He pulled out his phone and sent Sookie a quick text.

**I was a jerk. I love you and will be thinking of you all day. I'll definitely be nicer when I get home.**

* * *

The rest of the party learned the hard way you don't try to out drink a Swede. Tray and Hoyt staggered out of the limo while Eric walked out, feeling just fine. He helped them into the house and up the stairs before returning to the first floor. Listening at Pam's door for a moment, he heard her quiet breathing accompanied by Bob's louder snoring. He quietly opened his bedroom door, ordering Clancy out to go sleep on the couch.

He entered the room, slipping out of his clothes silently. Sookie was sleeping serenely, her face completely relaxed. She barely stirred as he pulled the sheet that was covering her away. She picked up on the innuendo from his text and had gone to bed in the nude. He crawled onto the bed and between her legs but she still didn't move. The first long lick of her sex did the trick. She shot up immediately in shock, but smiled and settled back down when she realized who it was.

He buried his face between her legs, moving his tongue in intricate patterns over her clit. She was bucking her hips against his face within moments, grabbing two handfuls of hair to hold him in place. Two fingers made their way to her core and quickly found her g-spot. As he continued his assault on her nub with tongue, she thrashed against the bed in an effort to stay quiet. As she found her release, she lost the battle and screamed out into the silent house.

He moved up her body to lay next her, pulling her against his chest as she came down from the high. She traced her hand down the soft hair of his happy trail and was disappointed at the result.

"Oh, I'm way too drunk for that. Just because I don't stumble around like an idiot, doesn't mean my body doesn't feel the effects of the alcohol. I'll make it up to you though by saying something that's better than sex. You were right, I was wrong. I was a jerk. I'm begging for your forgiveness."

She obviously faked an orgasm at each of his phrases, collapsing in a fit of giggles against his chest. Pressing a kiss over his heart, she looked up at him.

"Thank you. I know things are a little stressful right now but it will get better. Do you want to spend some extra time down here after everyone leaves to enjoy the vacation you didn't get?"

"No. I want to go back to New York. We'll come back here eventually, but right now, we just need to go home."

"I am home."

He sighed, letting his head fall back against the pillows. "Can we save this for the morning? I had a few too many tonight."

"I'm not letting you off the hook, but yes, we can save this for the morning. Good night, Eric, I love you."

"Love you too, Sooks."

**A/N2: So this double lemon was sponsored by the rest of the story.... The future chapters wanted to prepare you for what's ahead. And by that, I mean angst. Things can't go smoothly in every story can they? This story is about to get pretty angsty, so hold on tight for the bumpy road. This is me we're talking about, so of course there's going to be a HEA.**

**Leave me a little love, comment, review, about what you like, what you didn't, what you want. I love everything you have to say!**


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: Once upon a time, an author wanted to make her story really angsty. Well, her muses had something else in mind and decided to only give her a few chapters of angst. Her fans rejoiced.**

**That's the true story of Danger in Dixie. For those who don't like angst... it will only be a few chapters, bear with me. For those who love the angst (I'm looking at you A Redhead Thing), the next few chapters will definitely wet your panties.**

**My fantabulous beta, chiisai-kitty described this chapter as "intense." Yeah.... **

**Disclaimer: Alexander Danger and his fucked up world are mine. Everything else belongs to Charlaine Harris.**

_Her curves were as soft as he remembered, and his hands quickly found their place on her hips. She was above him, rocking her hips in perfect time to his thrusts. He was on the edge of climax; it was building beneath the surface the minute she appeared on his doorstep. She was soaked by the rain, her clothes clinging to her skin. After wrestling the knife from her hands, they ended up on the floor, and within minutes he was inside of her. How she could go from trying to kill him to making love in minutes was insane, but the farthest thing from his mind at the moment. Both their cries were reaching a fever pitch, and he opened his eyes just in time to see the knife coming down towards his chest._

_Danger woke with a start, running his hands over his chest to search for the wound. As his breathing returned to normal, he felt the sweat soaked sheets and decided a shower and fresh linens would be the appropriate course of action. His hand felt something sharp beside him; turning slowly to see the blood red rose resting delicately placed on the pillow. _

"Hi!"

Eric was sitting in his new favorite spot down by the creek, and had been all afternoon. He had been writing up a storm, channeling all of his energy and emotion into his work. He found that if he spent all his available time writing, he didn't have time to be upset with Sookie over all the insanity that was occurring in the house. This wasn't the first time he had been interrupted, but it was the first time it was done by a strange, tiny voice. Eric saw that Clancy noticed the person, too, and temporarily distracted from chasing leaves downstream to investigate. He turned from his seat to find the source of the voice. It was a little boy, perhaps four or five years old with dark eyes and even darker hair. He was holding a stuffed tiger in his hands and the nervous look in his eyes was offset by the enormous smile taking up most of his face. Eric deduced that this was Sookie's cousin's son.

"Hello, and who are you?"

"I'm Hunter. Sookie told me to come find you and tell you that my mom and dad are here and you should come inside and say hello. She also said that you've been working all day and ignoring her, but she didn't say that to me, she said that to Mommy. Is that your dog? Is he friendly? We can't have a dog; Daddy is allergic."

Eric took a minute to process everything Hunter had poured into one sentence. Sookie was sending an innocent kid to do her dirty work, not realizing he would spill the beans. She needed to learn that little ones hear everything and have no qualms about telling everyone what they've learned.

"I'm Eric and that's my dog, Clancy." Eric called Clancy over to meet Hunter properly. After a quick sniff, Clancy rolled right over for a belly rub. "I guess that answers your question about him being friendly. If you give him a belly rub, he'll be your best friend."

Hunter followed through on Eric's suggestion, breaking out into giggles when the dog started licking his face. Eric packed up his things and they all walked back towards the house. Realizing Hunter didn't stand a chance at keeping up with his long legs; Eric picked him up and carried him the rest of the way. Hunter told Eric his life's story during the trek, doing a perfectly good job telling him all the gossip. It was clear in Eric's mind that he was definitely related to Sookie; neither needed another person to have a conversation.

Eric walked up the porch, worried by the looks that Tray and Hoyt were giving him.

"What? How bad is it?"

Hoyt gave Eric a comforting smile that did anything but calm his nerves. "Well, ya know how Sookie rambles when she's excited? Imagine two of them, talking at the same time, neither stopping for air, ever. That's Hadley, and that's what's going on inside."

Eric looked over at Hunter, who was still up in his arms. "Okay, Hunter, you need to save Daddy from the crazy women. Go inside and tell him to come out here with us guys. Tell him to bring beer. He'll understand."

Eric set him down on the ground and he darted inside, on a mission. Tray was cracking up after their exchange. Not five minutes later, a tall man was walking out the back door; a hysterically laughing Hunter in one arm and a six pack of beer in the other. He had sharp features, slightly lighter than his son's. He put the beer down on the table, sticking out his now free hand for a handshake.

"Remy Savoy and that must make you Eric."

They exchanged pleasantries before taking a seat with Hoyt and Tray. Hunter decided man talk was not fun enough and took to chasing Clancy around the yard. The three that had been present for all the drama brought Remy up to date. After a moment of quiet reflection, he let out a short laugh.

"Sounds like this Crystal is all sorts of crazy. She'll fit in perfect with this family."

The next man out on the porch was Jason, looking slightly overwhelmed. Remy looked over at him, asking how long he was able to last.

"I couldn't have been in there for more than a few minutes. Hoyt, remember the luncheons after the Descendants of the Glorious Dead meetings? How all the harpies would gather and talk in that tone of voice that sends every dog in the Parrish running for cover? That's what it's like inside."

"Why do you think we're out here?"

"All this wedding and baby talk is enough to drive a man crazy. This was supposed to be a small family thing. How was I supposed to know the entire town of Hotshot is family to her? Eric, you've got the right frame of mind to stay far, far away from all this. It might drive Sook up a wall, but at least you get to keep your sanity."

They were only protected in their man cave for so long before Pam came out. She took the last beer in the pack and pulled up a chair next to Eric.

"Someone needed to tell you that dinner will be ready in twenty minutes. I volunteered and then ran for the hills. Why the fuck am I here?"

"You invited yourself down. Feel free to leave at anytime."

"Oh, Eric, but who would I torture back in New York with you so far away? My other clients aren't nearly as fun to mess with as you are."

Dinner snuck up on them, and soon they were forced back in the house to face the women. Dinner was more civilized than Eric had imagined; it was mostly Sookie and Jason catching up on Hadley's life. Eric was shocked at how similar the two cousins looked; the only difference between them was that where Sookie had blonde hair and blue eyes, Hadley had dark brown hair with dark eyes. The main bulk of the conversation was spent reminiscing about Gran. It was obvious that she was that she was the matriarch of the family; holding all the pieces together. Where Sookie had lost her parents in a flood, Hadley's were both taken by cancer.

Sookie wasn't exaggerating when she said that the three relatives sitting around this dinner table were all that was left of their gene pool. Eric saw her struggle with adding to the family in an entirely different light; understanding her unlike he never had before. He knew what he had to do; he had to sit down with her and get everything out on the table. He planned on waiting until they were back in New York, once all the craziness had settled. He took her hand in his, placing a small kiss on the back, before settling their join hands in his lap. She smiled at him, unsure of the motivation behind his gesture, but happy that it happened.

Since the wedding was the next day, everyone agreed to call it an early night. As they were figuring out the final sleeping arrangements, Hunter decided that building a pillow fort in the living room would be the best bedroom for him. His parents certainly wouldn't object to not having to share a bed with him and soon a makeshift bedroom was built using every free pillow in the house. Clancy was charged with guard duty so after Hunter was tucked inside, he laid down in front of the opening and fell asleep there.

Eric and Sookie were just about to head to be themselves, when Sookie started the wrong conversation.

"This wedding is getting out of hand. When we get married, we're coming up with a plan and sticking to it. This was supposed to be an intimate affair. There are going to be nearly one hundred people in my yard tomorrow."

"When we get married? When's that? I don't remember ever proposing."

"You know what I mean. I mean, seriously Eric, you really don't see us ever getting married?"

"I've told you how I feel about the topic a dozen times, at least. I don't see why you need a piece of paper to tell you that we're in love?"

"Because that's what normal couples do; they get together, fall in love, get married, and start a family."

"Why? Why can't we just be two people, madly in love, who live together?"

"Because that's not my life plan."

"Life plan?"

"Everyone has a life plan. The plan you set for your life when you're little. There are only two things on my plan; get married and be a mom."

"The two things you said weren't important to you in our relationship."

"Not presently, but eventually I'd like them both."

"That's not what you said when it first came up. You said that we were enough."

"I know you freak out with major changes, I was trying to protect you so we could ease into the conversation."

"Well, you did a fantastic job with that. Very smooth just sneaking the idea into conversations in one breath and then complaining about the pressure to get married in another."

"I'm so over this. Good night, Eric. Maybe Hunter will invite you into his pillow fort because you're sure as hell not sleeping in here tonight."

Eric grabbed his pillow and stormed out of the room to get comfortable on the couch. The next day was going to be a very long one.

* * *

Sookie was in full on panic mode the day of the wedding. Crystal had been sequestered at the Merlotte's house, opting to get ready there as to not risk seeing Jason before their big moment. Jason was a bundle of nerves upstairs, having a mini meltdown of his own, panicked over his decision to rush into a wedding with a baby on the way. That left Sookie to shoulder every decision and delivery that was coming in. Others tried to help her, but resorted to asking her about details they didn't want to screw up.

She was feeling the pressure, on the verge of breaking down, when Eric came in the room, looking as fine as ever in a three piece suit that matched Hoyt's and Tray's. They had not officially made up from their fight last night; in fact, they hadn't said two words to the other. He could sense her distress so he wrapped her in his arms, just holding her for a moment. He could feel her breathing even out after a few moments, so he pulled her back slightly to look in her eyes.

"Go take your shower and get dressed, lock the door so no one can get in. We can handle everything else. If anyone asks for you, I'll tell them you're indisposed and take care of it. Short of the house burning down, you are not to leave that bedroom until guests start arriving in an hour."

"But, I…"

"Nothing is more important than your sanity today. We'll deal with our mess after all this is over. Right now, there are bigger things to handle. Hoyt and Tray are talking Jason down, Amelia and Jessica are arranging the chairs and Pam is coordinating the flower delivery. Don and Maryanne are bringing the food over shortly and I'll take care of that. If it's not perfect, it's the best they're going to get without doing anything themselves."

She let out a deep breath she was holding, kissed him hard and without saying a word, left for the bedroom. The next hour flew by, but everything was taken care of by the time the first guests were settling into seats. The ceremony went off without a hitch. Much to Sookie's surprise, the homemade arch actually survived. As soon as Jason kissed his bride, food was being set up for the guests to enjoy while the wedding party took pictures. Hunter, who was the ring bearer posed like a champ, smiling and giggling the entire time. Crystal's cousin, the flower girl, was another story. She cried and complained the entire time, so most of the frames were done without her. Sookie rolled her eyes; it was just one more thing for Crystal to complain about later.

She was back in hostess mode after the photographer released them. She made her way through the crowd faster than Jason and Crystal to greet all their guests and make them feel at home. She was surprised when Eric came over to her with a smile, saying hello to Crystal's aunt, who Sookie was speaking with, and proceeded to steal her away. He dragged her inside the kitchen where a plate with all her favorite food was sitting on the counter.

"You're going to sit down and eat something before you pass out. It's approaching ninety degrees and you haven't had a bite to eat all day. I don't need you passing out on me. Crystal and Jason can entertain their own guests."

She was going to fight him for being heavy handed, but realized he was right and sat down at the kitchen table to eat. He sat with her, finally enjoying the time alone to talk about their own lives. It was the first time in a while they were alone in the middle of the day. After the food was gone and he made sure she drank an entire glass of lemonade to fight off dehydration, they left the kitchen to get back to the party. Sookie was immediately stolen away by Jason, where she was prompted to make her maid of honor speech.

The night was winding down and Eric had put himself in charge of babysitting Hunter. Hadley had mentioned she didn't have any adult time recently with Remy and Eric was more than happy to keep an eye on him so she could enjoy the night. Last he saw the happy couple; they were dancing and then sneaking away towards the house. Hunter was in the midst of explaining the "very complicated" plot of his favorite television show. Eric started to wonder if he could branch himself out and write children's books but shot the idea down when he realized he would have to keep them sex free. He loved a good plot, but he loved his smut even more.

When he stopped learning the intricacies of children's programming, he looked down at the little guy just in time to catch him nodding off. Eric picked him up, and Hunter cuddled into his arms, falling fast asleep in seconds. They stayed like that for a while, just sitting on the porch, watching the party as it continued to die down. When Eric heard footsteps approaching, he turned and saw a slightly disheveled Remy heading his way.

"You look good with a kid in your arms."

"Don't let Sookie hear you talking like that. She's been giving me enough grief recently on that front."

"Let me give you some advice. If you don't like it, ignore it, but at least have the decency to hear me out." When Eric nodded, Remy continued. "When Hadley told me she was pregnant, I freaked out and left town. We had only been dating a year and I wasn't ready for something like that. I came back when Adele called me. Hadley had just given birth and was scared out of her mind. She told me if I didn't get my ass back to my girl and my new son, she was going to hunt me down and make sure no one ever heard from me again. No one is ever ready to be a parent. It's terrifying and there's no manual on how to do it right. The scariest moment of my life was the first time I held Hunter in my arms. It was also the best.

"If you keep waiting for the right timing, you're going to watch Sookie walk away. I'm not saying go have a kid tomorrow but don't let fear be what tears you apart. The two of you are good together; God knows Sookie deserves a good man like you in her life. Had told me the two of you have been fighting about the future. Get on the same page, and get there fast, because Stackhouses don't put up with that type of shit for long. I'm going to tuck him into bed; think about what I told you. Good night, Eric."

Eric let the words soak in, seeking out Sookie's location in the rapidly shrinking crowd of people. He found her hugging and kissing people good bye in between cleaning up the mess. He grabbed a garbage bag and helped out, wanting this process to go by quickly so he could talk to Sookie. She probably wouldn't be in the mood to talk after the stress of the day, but he felt it was important to get the process started at least.

It was close to two in the morning by the time everything was put away to Sookie's satisfaction. Those who had been able to stay up to help dragged themselves to bed; Eric and Sookie included. When Eric left the bathroom, he expected Sookie to already be asleep, but she was still up, waiting for him; a worried look etched in her face.

"What's wrong?"

"You've been super nice to me all day. I'm just waiting for the fight from last night to start all over again."

"I've been nice to you since I knew you needed the support. We need to settle what happened without you kicking me out."

"It's late and we're both tired. We'll settle it in the morning."

"Not a fucking chance. We keep saying that and then not talking about it in the morning. We're doing this now, even if we have to stay up all night."

"Fine, what do you want to know?"

"What's the deal with you and your life plan? I'd like to be part of that plan but I need to know what's going through your head."

"I want you to know that I'm happy with you, and I want you to be part of my life forever. But I want your role to change from boyfriend to husband to father."

"Why couldn't you have mentioned that before all this fighting started? If you had been honest with me the entire time, we could have avoided the big blow outs."

"I was afraid of losing you. I didn't want anything to come between us, but if you want total honesty, then you'll get it. I want to get married, I want a family, and I want all of that to happen with you."

He sat down next to her on the bed, taking her hand in his.

"I think the best thing that can happen is for us to go back home and settle into our normal routine. Things are out of whack down here."

"I know you said you wanted to go home immediately, but I want to stay a little while longer."

"Sook, we have tickets for a flight out tomorrow night. It's time to go back to New York. We've done nothing but fight here; we need the stability of our home."

"But why? You're writing everyday here and we'll finally have some time to relax. Plus, we don't have tickets tomorrow. I called the travel agent and canceled them to extend our stay. It was my turn to surprise you."

"You can't do something like that without asking me first!"

"You didn't tell me you were buying this house!"

"How long are you going to hold that over my head?"

"Long enough so you stop being dumb and having double standards."

"We have a life to get back to in New York."

"Lafayette is holding down the fort with the bar, as are the other waitresses. Sam is going back tomorrow with Daphne, they won't miss me one bit. Jess, Hoyt, Jason and Crystal are all going back, too. Amelia and Tray already agreed to stay. I thought the four of us could just have a nice time here without all the wedding nonsense to distract us."

"So you coordinated all of this with everyone without even asking my opinion. Don't you think that would have been important? This is exactly what I was talking about. We need to be honest with each other."

"You were off writing every afternoon and at night, things just got crazy. It slipped my mind."

"That's an important detail to miss, Sookie. We can't just stay down here forever."

"Why not?"

"I knew that's where you were going with this! What part of my life don't you want me to change? You're asking me to change my beliefs on marriage and children; why not throw in a cross country move while you're at it?"

"You're blowing this out of proportion. I just want you to love Bon Temps like I do. A few more days here won't do any damage."

"I'm going to New York tomorrow. In fact, I'm going to New York tonight. I don't know who you are, but you certainly aren't the same person I fell in love with. Don't come back until you're willing to be honest with me."

"What are you talking about? Are you kicking me out?"

"What am I talking about? You've turned into this woman who feels the need to change every detail of my life and hide the truth when you think I won't like it. And no, Sookie, I can't kick you out of my New York apartment if you're already home."

He got off the bed and hastily threw his clothes and notes in a suitcase. Sookie sat in a state of shock on the bed, unsure of how to proceed.

"What does this mean?"

"It means I've finally had enough of your bullshit. This has been building up the entire time we've been here and I'm done. I'm done fighting, I'm done learning about things at the last minute, I'm done with you. I'm done with us."

His voice cracked at his last sentence and he walked out of the room so she wouldn't see the raw emotion on his face. He realized that Pam had brought Clancy here without his travel crate, since she had come down on a private jet. He was about to knock on her door to ask her to make sure Clancy got home quickly, when it swung open, revealing Pam at the ready with her bags.

"These walls are paper thin. I heard every word. I'm coming with you. I already have the jet on standby. By the time we get to the airfield, it will be ready for us. You drive the pickup and I'll arrange for someone from the rental agency to pick it up there for you."

"Thank you."

They went out into the living room, prepared to leave when Amelia was standing in front of the door. Pam wasn't exaggerating when she said the walls were thin.

"You're not leaving; you can't do this to her or to yourself. Just sit down and talk it out. Let calmer heads prevail."

"Then you stay and tell your best friend to get her head out of her fucking ass. She knows what she's done and exactly how to fix it."

"You walking out isn't going to help at all. Just stay the night and deal with this in the morning. It's been a long day and emotions are a little high."

"Tonight was just the final straw and you know it. Get out of my way, Amelia."

"Eric, please..."

"Enough. Pam and I are leaving. It was nice knowing you."

They were out the door before Sookie had recovered enough to say one word. The only indication to her mood was the sound of her sobs coming from the back bedroom.

**A/N2: Yup, I went there. Just remember what I said... there will be a Happily Ever After and this angst shall pass. This isn't a romance novel, there are bumps in the road with relationships. Hang in there with me folks, I'm handing out hugs and kisses over on Twitter if you need one.**

**In Pimptastic News:**

**(1) Seastarr08 and I wrote a kink filled chapter of Hard Sell which you can find here: ****http://www(dot)fanfiction(dot)net/s/5806614/3/Hard_Sell**

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**(3) Every Monday we post teasers over in the forum. I'm usually good for a double teaser :) ****http://forum(DOT)fanfiction(DOT)net/topic/55534/19191439/9/#24393892**

** (4) Have you read S(dot)meadows' newest blog? You should: www(dot)thesookieverse(dot)com**

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**Pimpin' ain't easy kids. Hit the review button and pay up :)**


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: As much as people say they hate angst, last chapter had the most reviews of any Dixie or Dame chapter!! Let's keep the angst train rolling shall we? Remember, times are darkest before the dawn.**

**Thanks to my beta, chiisai-kitty for her awesome skills.**

**Disclaimer: Nothing but Danger is Mine.**

"Get the fuck off my couch."

Eric opened his eyes, focusing on the very angry editor glaring down at him. They had returned to New York a few hours earlier and headed to Pam's apartment. Eric was adamant on not going home yet, he couldn't bear to face Sookie's belongings, the furniture they picked out together, or worst of all, pictures of the two of them happy. He had been content to fold his frame to fit the ultra modern, but ultra uncomfortable, couch in her living room to catch up on the sleep that he missed on the plane.

"Eric, I'm serious. We're not doing this again. You've made your bed, now you have to sleep in it. Literally, your bed, in your apartment."

"I'd rather sleep on your couch."

"You know what I mean. You can't be like this again. This time, whatever it is you're feeling is your fault. It's time to be an adult. Handle the situation like a man. Couples break up all the time, deal with it."

"Thank you for your words of comfort in my otherwise difficult time."

"Ah, you're still in the snark stage of coping. So you're going to be an annoying little bitch for the next few days. Fun. Get the fuck off my couch. You live one block down, darling, I think you can manage to get home."

He turned over on his back, dangling his legs over the arm of the couch, and stared at the ceiling. He was trying to will himself upright, but it just wasn't happening.

"Tell me I didn't just make the biggest mistake of my life."

Pam sighed, rubbing her eyes. "We're both exhausted. Neither of us slept at all on the plane back here. We're not having that conversation right now. We're not in the right frame of mind for it. Go home, get some sleep, we'll talk tomorrow over lunch."

He looked down at Clancy, who was unconscious on the floor, oblivious to what was going on around him.

"Unless there's a reason you don't want to go home. Shit, Eric, you're not thinking of killing yourself again? Please say this isn't as bad as last time."

"Thought hadn't even crossed my mind. I guess I just didn't want to be alone. Which is strange, since one of the things that pissed me off down south was the constant stream of visitors."

"That's why I bought you Clancy, so you'll never have to be alone. Listen, forget lunch tomorrow, we'll do dinner tonight. Or we can do both. Please tell me I don't have to worry about you again."

He got off the couch, walked over to his best friend, and pulled her in for a hug. Pam wasn't normally a touchy feely kind of person, but sank into his embrace, hugging him back tightly.

"You don't have to worry about me. Let me mope for a few days, then I'll be right as rain. Like you said, I brought this shit storm on myself, but that doesn't make it suck any less. Bring dinner over tonight. We'll eat Ben and Jerry's, watch chick flicks, and braid each other's hair. Typical break up stuff."

She laughed into his shoulder, squeezing him once more before stepping away. It seems no one was spared from the effects of the emotional roller coaster that was the trip to Bon Temps. Eric and Pam had a relationship that transcended their working partnership. They acted more like siblings most of the time; fighting constantly but viciously supportive and loving when they truly needed each other.

Pam took a deep breath, fixing her perfect outfit, before hardening her gaze on him once more. "Good. I'll be sure to bring you a box of tampons. You need the jumbo size right?"

"Right. I'll see you tonight."

He left her apartment, walking the short distance down to his building. He negotiated his luggage and Clancy into the small elevator, riding up to his tenth floor home. Once inside, he tossed his bag towards his washing machine and put down a can of food for Clancy. Being in his apartment was as awful as he feared. Everywhere he looked were reminders of how happy he had been with Sookie. He decided not to deal with his emotions then. He opted instead to curl up in bed with a pillow over his head, blocking out all the things he was not ready to feel.

The next morning was no better. Not only was Sookie not lying beside him, Clancy was no where to be seen. Never had his bed felt more empty. Dinner last night with Pam had gone well until it was time for her to leave. Sitting alone in the apartment, Eric was trapped with his emotions and loneliness. Feelings of despair sat waiting in the corners of mind, ready to strike and tear him apart.

He dragged himself out of bed, trying to ignore Sookie's favorite coffee mug in the cabinet as he reached for his own. He sat down to a simple breakfast, but even his bowl of oatmeal reminded him of Sookie. He used to eat it plain, but she introduced him to the joys of honey and brown sugar. He knew these feelings; the act of reminiscing about a past love was all to familiar to him. What was also familiar was the reaction his body was having; rage. Before the depression nearly destroyed him, he nearly destroyed everything in the apartment after Felicia died. It took all his willpower to place his bowl in the sink instead of throwing it against the wall.

He decided that keeping busy would be the best way to distract his mind from all thoughts of Sookie. He found his bag of laundry exactly where he left it, and emptied the contents into the wash. When he reached the bottom of the bag, he found his notepads, full of notes on his new book. He flipped through them, knowing that getting into his writing would be the ultimate distraction. He started the fireplace, and curled up in his favorite oversized chair. He scanned the last few pages of what he wrote and had his heart ripped out of his chest. He saw the doodles in the margins of the page that Sookie had drawn. He was writing in bed one night while they were winding down from another exhausting day. She was curled up at his side doing a crossword puzzle and he noticed that her pen was straying from her page to his. When she stopped writing and started giggling, he saw what she left behind; a heart with their initials in it. She even included the customary "4ever" at the bottom. He couldn't help but kiss her when he saw it. The thoughts of her soft skin against his, and the knowledge that he would never feel it again rippled through him, bringing his anger back to the front of his mind.

He could never publish this book. Every time he saw it, every interview he would have to sit through would do nothing but remind him of Sookie. Besides being inspired by her to write it, the damn thing took place in her hometown. The notepad, with all the others, found their way into the fireplace, and Eric found his way back to bed. He canceled lunch with Pam, he couldn't put on a brave face like he did last night. He couldn't be strong for her again.

The next day was started with someone knocking on the door. He figured it was Pam coming to make sure he wasn't hanging from the light fixtures, but then again, she would just let herself in with her key. He dragged himself out of bed and shuffled to the front door, surprised by who he saw through the peephole. He unlocked the door, letting the man he had just been a groomsman for into his apartment.

"Morning, I brought you a cup of coffee. I'd like to have a little chat with you about how you destroyed my sister."

"Listen, if you want to kick my ass, just get it over with. I'm not really in the talking mood."

"I don't really give a shit about what you want. You should have seen her; she was a mess."

"Then you should have stayed and taken care of her. Isn't that your job as her brother?"

"She told us all to leave. Amelia and Tray stayed down to keep an eye on her. I wanted to stay, but she wouldn't hear it. And you want to talk about my job as her brother? How about your job as her boyfriend not to treat her like shit?"

"I did everything for her. Don't come into my house uninvited and run your fucking mouth when you have no idea what happened that night."

"You're right, enlighten me. What pissed you off so bad that you walked out on my sister?"

"She has this crazy idea that she gets to dictate my life. She was making all these changes in what our relationship was based on; it was as if she was a completely different person. What she was saying was the exact opposite of everything we'd ever discussed about our life together. And it wasn't a discussion; she was stating facts that she's already decided for us without ever taking my side of things into consideration."

"She's a control freak, have you not realized that yet? She redecorated your entire apartment within a month of moving in. She revamped your wardrobe, changed the way you style your hair and switched you from a Mac to a PC. She was just taking baby steps that you didn't notice."

Eric fell into one of the stools in the kitchen, placing his cup of coffee down so it didn't end up against the wall. Jason was right, he had already changed the little details of his life for her, and they were all for the better just because she was part of it. He wasn't ready for this type of conversation with Jason.

"I don't owe you anything, Jason. I know you're trying to protect your baby sister, but this is between me and her."

"You're right. So maybe you should call her, because you know her stubborn ass isn't going to make the first move."

"I'm not ready to talk to her yet. I don't know what to say, or where this is going to end up."

"Then maybe you should think about housing. If you're breaking up, that means you're kicking her out."

"If you speak to her, and she says she wants this break up to be permanent, tell her I'll give her the Bon Temps house. I don't want to leave her homeless."

"I'll call her on my way to the gym. Is that what you want, relationship wise? You really want her out of your life forever? I thought the two of you would outlast me and Crystal."

"I don't know what I want. I guess neither of us really have all the information."

"Figure your end out, and call her. You're going to have to be the bigger person on this one. I'll let you know what comes out of my conversation with her. If you need anything, call me."

He knew Jason was right. He needed to figure out what he wanted and the root of his problem before Sookie reached out to him. Part of him knew that Jason was also right about Sookie not making the first move, but he needed to be prepared just in case. Facing his demons was the hardest step. He had put off the process for three years when he was coping with Felicia's loss, and even then, he had Sookie to help him through it. Now he was alone, getting exactly what he wanted, a chance to make his own decisions about his life. His old feelings needed to be reexamined for the sake of his future.

The fourth day was the hardest. Dealing with emotions and making major life decisions can be very draining on a person's spirit. Even more draining were the constant phone calls from Pam, worried about his mental health. When she stopped by for lunch unannounced, and he was still in his pajamas, she finally snapped.

"You said we weren't doing this again. It's two in the afternoon; get dressed."

"Pam, you just don't get it! Leave me the fuck alone!"

"You're right, I don't get it. But I know for a fact you're letting the best thing that ever happened to you walk away. You wanted honesty, you got honesty and you couldn't handle it. Suck it up."

"Fuck you."

"No, Eric, fuck you! I watched you throw three years of your life away, and I won't stand aside and let you do it again."

"You're not letting me do anything. I'm a grown man, I make my own decisions."

"You're a fucking child, Eric. A scared little boy who ran away from his problems instead of facing them, for the second time."

"Can you leave now?"

"Not until you tell me the truth. Why are you so afraid to get married again? Eric, let's face it, I'm the last friend you have. You can't push me away."

"Do you have any idea how much it hurt to have Felicia taken away from me? I can't do that again. I couldn't bear to go through that again; I barely made it out alive the first time. And if there was a baby? Losing a spouse is one thing, but a child? I can't do it again. I can't put myself out there to get hurt again."

"You're an asshat. You honestly thing that you'll love Sookie more if she's your wife? You think you'll miss her less if by some fucked up reverse karma she dies just because you're not married. Look at yourself right now. You're miserable, you're falling apart at the seems and she's not even gone forever."

"I don't know, Pam. I just never wanted to put myself in that position again. I hate this; I hate the way I feel right now and I hate that I'm afraid to move forward. I just want things to go back to the way they were before Bon Temps."

"Did you think this relationship with Sookie was going to be smooth sailing? Couples fight, they argue; but when all the dust settles, they're stronger because of it. It wasn't going to stay perfect forever, you had to know that."

"Pam, I don't know what to do. What am I supposed to say to her?"

"For starters, you should probably apologize for walking out on her. That was sort of a dick thing to do. Then you should sit down and get it all out on the table, like you were trying to do before shit hit the fan. If you really can't come to common ground, then the break up was the right call. But I think you and I both know that it wasn't. She's amazing."

"I know. I can't believe I burned my notes. It was cathartic then, but now I feel like a moron."

"Then I'll just have to remind you why I'm the best editor in the business." She pulled a USB drive from her purse and threw it in his direction. "That's everything you wrote. My Swedish is horrible, as is your handwriting, but it should be enough for you to put everything back together."

"Pam, when did you do this?" He ran to the study to start up his computer so he could read the files.

"I needed to do something with my time when the entire house was fucking. The batteries died on my Rabbit the third night I was there. I'd steal your notepads and transcribe them as soon as you finished them off. I even got the stuff you wrote the day before the wedding. The red rose was a nice touch."

It was all there. He scrolled through the document, amazed that Pam had been able to save everything. It needed serious editing, but his notes always did. At least he didn't have to start all over at square one with his novel. His relationship was a different story completely.

Sookie woke the next morning as she did every morning since Eric left; sick to her stomach. It was the same thing every night; she would dream of Eric, replaying the break up over and over until she woke, needing to vomit. She raced to the toilet, heaving the contents of her stomach for the fourth morning in a row. Amelia came in after a few minutes with a cup of tea and rubbed her back until she felt steady enough to sit back away from her new porcelain god.

The first two days after he left, she could barely get out of bed. She just bundled herself under the covers and cried until she ran out of tears. In a short time, Eric had become her entire world; she loved him with her entire heart and never wanted to hurt him. She knew she had to handle him with kid gloves at the beginning but she had been too close to realize how much progress he had made. He was no longer the timid grieving widower she first met; he had finally come back into his own, resuming the life he left behind completely. All of this had happened without Sookie ever realizing it.

Jason had offered to stay longer, but she chased everyone away. She wanted to mope alone but was secretly thankful that Amelia and Tray had opted to stay. Amelia had started bringing her food, just sitting with her silently, holding her while she cried as her world fell apart. She knew she was the cause, she knew her actions were what chased Eric away. She had become the woman no one wanted to be; she was the meddler, the girlfriend who thought she could change her man. Sookie had seen enough Lifetime movies to know that trying to make your man something he's not can only end in heartbreak. Why did she believe her case was any different?

The third day was the first time she was able to get out of bed. After her now normal morning routine of vomiting had passed, she came out into the kitchen when she heard Tray and Amelia walking around. She managed to not cry through breakfast, but was unable to speak either. Thankfully, her friends stuck to yes or no questions which she was able to answer by nodding her head.

She sat out on the porch with Amelia all afternoon, trying to enjoy the sunshine. Amelia sat beside her in comfortable silence, knitting away at her most recent project. From what Sookie could tell, it was going to be a baby blanket, most likely a present for Jason and Crystal. Tray came out to join them a while later, calling Amelia into the house so he could speak to her. Sookie knew they would be talking about her, but she couldn't find it in her heart to care. When Amelia came back, she had the same worried look on her face that Tray did a few minutes before hand. Whatever her friend was about to tell her was not good news. Her heart immediately sank in her chest.

"Jason just called Tray. He went to visit Eric yesterday and apparently he's in the same shape you are."

Sookie took comfort that she was not suffering alone. He deserved to suffer as much as she was. She nodded to let Amelia know she was still listening.

"Jason wants to know if you want any of your stuff sent down. Jason also wanted to pass on that Eric told him he would sign the house over to you, if that's what you want."

Sookie pulled her knees into her chest and started sobbing again. She didn't want the house this way. She would be the first to admit that she was pissed at Eric for buying it without talking to her first, but as soon as she stopped letting the anger overtake her, she could see the thoughtfulness behind the gesture. She could imagine setting up her life here with Eric. Now, she couldn't imagine living here without him. She never wanted to be without him. Amelia's comforting hands were rubbing her back, letting her cry it out.

"Is that a no?"

"I don't know. What did Eric say to Jason? Did Eric invite him over, or did Jason just show up at the apartment?"

"Jason invited himself over. He wanted to talk to Eric man to man about what went down. We're all worried about you, Sookie. We know how happy the two of you were together."

"I don't want to break up. I love him so much. This all started because I was planning a future for the both of us."

"Do you hear anything wrong with that sentence?" When Sookie shook her head "no," Amelia continued. "'I was planning a future for the BOTH of US.' You were making plans for him, without him."

"So you're saying I'm in the wrong?"

"I'm saying that the both of you had your heads in the sand. You were ignoring the stressors, until it exploded. Neither of you were completely in the wrong, but neither of you were right. In couple fights, it's rare that the blame falls entirely on one person."

Sookie buried her face back in her knees. "I'm such a moron. He's really gone, Ames."

"Not forever. You can still get him back."

"I can't go crawling back to him. What if he's not willing to admit he was wrong? What if he doesn't want to take me back?"

"You're going to what if yourself to death. Do you want to leave for New York yet?"

"No. I'm not ready."

The next morning, she was leaning against the tub, sipping the hot tea Amelia had brought her. She had come to a realization during a sleepless night and had a very important choice to make. She could either leave Eric behind and keep looking for the man that would fit her mold, fit her life plan to a T. Or she could accept that plans change. She loved Eric with all her heart and never wanted to be without him. Could she be happy as an eternal girlfriend? She could envision a life with Eric, but in all of her dreams that life was spent married with a few kids.

She realized that she was forcing Eric to compromise to her dreams, while completely ignoring what he wanted. Why should he be the only one who had to change paths? Was this all too little too late? She leaned her head against the coolness of the tub, crying for a future she may have already lost. As the sobs consumed her, she could hear her Gran's voice in her head.

_This is not how a Stackhouse handles her problems. Crying on the floor won't accomplish anything. Stop feeling sorry for yourself and take back control of your own destiny._

She stood up, nearly knocking the teacup over. She looked down at Amelia, who was still sitting on the floor.

"We need to go to New York. I can't lose him like this."

"Girl, our bags are already packed. We were just waiting on you to come to your senses."

And with that, they locked up the house and left for the airport.

**A/N2: Will there be some type of resolution next chapter? Is that even possible?**

**Pimp time: I need to show my support for my ladies!**

**(1) The Dead Pan Contest is in full swing. I already have two entries planned, but this is an anonymous contest. Check out the details here: ****http://www(dot)fanfiction(dot)net/u/2231715/Dead_Pan_Contest**

**(2) Every Monday we post teasers over in the forum. I'm usually good for a double teaser :) ****http://forum(DOT)fanfiction(DOT)net/topic/55534/19191439/9/#24393892**

**(3) Have you read S(dot)meadows' newest blog? You should: www(dot)thesookieverse(dot)com**

**(4) Sapfirerose posts a daily fanfiction round up every night and a host of other amazing features on her blog: ****http://mysvmaddiction(dot)blogspot(dot)com/**

**Leave me a little review lovin, please! **


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: Please tell me you're still reading this! I am so sorry for the delay but real life has been kicking my ass from corner to corner. Teachers love to make things due at the end of the semester, and I've just had a slew of papers, tests and projects all due. I'm in the heart of final's week as we speak; so close to the end of the semester I can taste it. Pray for me.**

**I know I'm competing with Dead in the Family – trust me, I'd rather be reading that than the dry articles I'm reading for class. I hope you can peal yourselves away from CH for little ole Dixie. **

**Thanks to chiisai-kitty for telling me when my writing was shit. This chapter sucked without her gentle shove in the right direction.**

**Disclaimer: Not mine.**

Eric was just returning from a walk with Clancy when Victor, the guard from his building's lobby, gave him a knowing wink. The ride up in the elevator was strange to say the least. He spent the trip trying to figure out what the look was about. When it stopped, and he walked down the hallway towards his front door, it became obvious to him. Amelia was trying to convince Sookie to just knock on the door; it appeared that neither knew Eric wasn't home, nor did they notice him approaching them.

His heart sank in his chest. He had spent the rest of the previous night trying to figure out what to say to her when he called her today. He hadn't figured it all out, but had a general idea of what needed to be discussed. But there she was, standing at his front door, trying to sort it all out for herself. In his state of contemplation, his grip on Clancy's leash loosened and the dog took off down the remainder of the hallway to properly greet Sookie.

The golden retriever jumping into her arms alerted Sookie to Eric's presence. Their eyes locked and words failed them. They stood, twenty feet apart, just staring into each other's eyes. Amelia could feel the tension slowly rising and chose to alleviate it herself.

"Hey! I have to pee really bad; can you let us into the apartment? Sookie decided it would be a good idea to throw her keys downstream back in Bon Temps."

Eric snapped out of the haze that had settled upon him from seeing Sookie and let everyone into the apartment. Amelia left after a few moments, leaving the confused lovebirds to sort things out. Sookie took a seat on the couch, waiting for Eric to make the first move. She still hadn't figured everything out for herself, and was hoping that he knew what to say.

"Did you rearrange the furniture?"

"Sort of. I threw a few pieces around and they didn't exactly end up where they started."

"You threw the furniture?"

"It's the healthiest way I knew to channel my feelings. I broke a few bowls, too. And I burned my notes."

"You burned your notes! Oh, God, Eric, you worked so hard on that book!"

"I know, but every time I looked at them, I thought of you. I didn't know when you'd be coming back, if you would be coming back. Luckily, Pam had backed them up digitally. I didn't lose anything."

"Oh."

Silence fell around them again, and for once, it was uncomfortable. Clancy curled up next to her on the couch; he was the only one who was obviously excited Sookie had returned. Since their first sighting in the hallway, eye contact had been avoided. Eric joined her in the living room with a mug of coffee. When her fingers brushed against his as she accepted the mug, she let out a short gasp and her eyes locked on his. There was a hunger visible on both their faces, a strong desire for the other that no fight would ever stop. He sat down next to her on the couch, their fingers still touching on the mug. He was the first to find his voice.

"I missed you. I missed you every minute of every day. I missed having you in bed with me, I missed waking up with you. I missed taking Clancy for walks in the park with you. I never want to be without you, Sookie. If you'll have me, I want you back in my life."

Her eyes watered, tears slipping down her cheeks. "There's so much we need to talk about. But if we can get through it all, I want you in my life, too."

The coffee was long forgotten as she launched into his arms, their lips connecting immediately. His arms wrapped tightly around her, pulling her into his body. Both their hands ran roughly over the other's body, trying to remember all the details that had not been explored over the past few days. When Sookie's lips left his, they trailed down his neck, where he enjoyed her attention the most. As much as he didn't want her to stop, he needed to make sure they were on the same page.

"I love this, and I love you, but shouldn't we talk first? We left on pretty bad terms."

She stopped, stretching up to look into his eyes. "You're right I just miss the feeling of being in your arms. But you're right. We should at least get the major grievances out in the open."

"We weren't listening to each other. Well, at least it felt like you weren't listening to me."

"You walked out on me. You can't just walk away from someone!"

Her anger flared and she moved out of his arms, to sit on the opposite end of the couch. The momentary bliss of kissing him had passed and she remembered why she was mad.

"You're not listening to me right now! You're getting angry and shutting me out. Maybe we should have fucked first, then you wouldn't be so argumentative."

"We're having an argument, of course I'm going to be argumentative! You left me! After everyone in my life has abandoned me, you had the balls to do the same thing. We could have stayed and talked more..."

"That's it in a nutshell, Sookie. You decided we needed to stay and talk, so without consulting me, you canceled our tickets. In case you haven't realized, I'm not the same person I was when we first met. I don't need you to coddle me. I'm part of this relationship; I have the right to make decisions about what happens in my life, and in our lives. Married or not, we make decisions together, not for each other."

"So you're saying this is all my fault."

"And now you're being defensive. I don't think this is all your fault, I know I fucked up. I made up my mind about what I wanted out of my life without thinking about how it would make you feel. When you said you felt the same way, that you were okay not getting married or starting a family right now, I thought that meant forever. I didn't realize that feeling had an expiration date."

"I guess I was less than honest with you. I told you what you wanted to hear to protect you. I'm sorry."

He moved closer to her, taking her hands in his. "I'm sorry I walked out. There were better ways to handle that but I chose the easy way. I was so frustrated, and after being that way for days on end, I couldn't handle it anymore. I snapped. We should have had this talk that night, but I ran. Emotions were running a little high."

She laughed. "Understatement of the century."

They shared a smile and he brushed the hair away from her face. He wiped away the few tears that had spilled over her long lashes, kissing her cheeks softly. She turned to face him, catching his lips in a sweet kiss, tasting the lingering hunger from earlier. He pulled back, slightly, pressing his forehead against hers. She looked at him with questioning eyes.

"Are we going to be okay?"

"Will you start talking to me about how you're feeling? Will you consider my feelings in the decision making process?"

"Will you try to be more open to change? Will you promise not to walk away from a fight just because things get a little intense?"

"I can try. And I can promise you that I will never abandon you."

"Then I can promise to do things with you, not for you. I will include your input in all future plans."

"Then we'll be okay."

She kissed him again, this time with passion that was not there before. She was back in his lap, needing to feel his skin against hers. He rose from the couch, keeping her in his arms, to walk into the bedroom. Her legs wrapped around his waist, her fingers sinking into his thick hair. Hands flew over buttons and clothes disappeared faster than ever. It was demanding, grinding, passionate, desperate. This went beyond wanting the other, this was need in its most basic form. He was on top of her, buried deep inside of her, possessed by her. Everything else vanished from existence besides the feel of hands and lips.

Their combined release was powerful; both finished with a scream, holding the other tightly. As breathing returned to normal, it was obvious that there was more to talk about.

"I think the main cause of our fight was lack of communication."

"That's summing it up nicely, Sook. There were serious crossed wires on both sides. Neither of us took the time to listen to what the other really needed."

"I thought I knew what was best for us. I thought I could make you see things my way. I made decisions for us, but somewhere in all the insanity, I stopped consulting you."

He shifted, forcing her to look him in the eye. "We both stopped talking to the other about the important things. I was stubborn. You were, too. Don't beat yourself up over this. We need to get passed this, make the necessary changes, and move forward. I meant it when I said we would be okay."

"You're right. Forward, not backward. We can't linger here. Feel free to kick my ass if you see me getting stuck."

"Deal. Same goes for me. Want another moment of honesty?"

"I think it's been decided that this is time for truth."

"I'm terrified of losing you. Every day, I think about all the things that can go wrong that can take you away from me."

"I'm not going anywhere."

"I know, but, you can't control acts of God. Car accidents happen all the time. When we're not together, I think about all ways you can..."

He sat up, abruptly, leaning against the headboard, burying his face in his hands. He hadn't intended to let that part out during the initial talk. She moved to face him, taking his hands in hers. "I. Am. Not. Going. Anywhere. You can take that to the bank."

"But.."

"No. No buts. You can't live your life afraid of the fucked up possibilities. That's just the lingering agoraphobia. That's not living; that's being afraid. You're past that."

"Apparently, I'm not."

"Listen to me. You can't control every detail of life; no one can. You just have to live in the now and roll with the punches."

"I'd fall apart if I ever lost you."

"You won't. I'm right here."

She moved into his lap, straddling his waist. This was usually an intimate position for them, but there was nothing sexual about it in that moment. She leaned against his chest, resting her head on his shoulder.

"Let's just never leave this bed again."

"I'm not giving in to your desires to be a shut in again. I think I promised Pam sometime after we started dating that I'd never let you revert back to your hermit ways."

"What if I promise to keep you here through sexual means?"

"You have to run out of juice sometime, big boy."

"With you around? Never."

"You know what we should do? We should go to the gym. We haven't worked out in weeks. We can run on the same treadmill where you fell in love with me."

"Will you sing?"

"Don't I always?"

A week had passed and life went back to normal for Sookie and Eric. The only thing that had not sorted itself out was Sookie's new habit of throwing up every morning. Thoughts swirled through her head of the possibility that it was not stress related, but caused by something much more serious.

She was waiting in the ladies' locker room for Amelia to come down after her class. She was terrified to talk to Eric about it. They had finally gotten to someplace safe and productive with their relationship and a baby would most definitely throw a wrench into their progress. They had finally agreed to take things one day at a time. Having a baby was not one day at a time. That's a lifetime in one moment.

"Sook, what was so important that you needed to meet now? We're having dinner tomorrow night."

"No, we're going on a double date tomorrow night. I needed to talk to you privately."

"What's wrong?"

"There's a good chance I might be pregnant."

"What!? Oh my God; I just wrote you throwing up every day in Bon Temps off to the break up. You mean it hasn't stopped?"

"Nope. Every morning is a dash to the toilet. I had no explanation to give Eric; I wrote it off as a stomach bug or something I ate."

"You need a home test. I'll go with you to buy one."

"I bought one. In fact, I peed on the stick already. I don't have the guts to go to the sink to look."

"Want me to look for you?"

Sookie couldn't even form the words, she simply nodded her desire to never look at the damned stick again. Amelia came back a few minutes later, a blank look on her face.

"Eric is going to shit a brick. It's positive."

Sookie burst into tears, ignoring the stares from the other gym members. Amelia chased them off with a few well placed curses. She wrapped her arms around her best friend, trying her best to console her in this moment of need. She let Sookie cry until there were no tears left before she dared to speak.

"Okay, that's all you're allowed to cry over this. This is happy moment, Sookie, you're going to be a mom! Eric is crazy about you; he'll be fine."

"He's going to freak."

"Of course he is. He had a massive panic attack one day at the park, the day I called him out on being crazy about you. He needs to get the freak out out of his system, then he'll realize how amazing it's going to be to raise a baby with you."

"How am I supposed to tell him?"

"Let's get down to basics. You have to tell him."

"I know that. We're doing the whole open communication thing now. We're telling each other everything. I can't keep it from him, I never intended to."

"So that leaves us two options. You can go about it the boring way and just tell him outright or you can go the fun route and buy baby stuff for him to discover on his own. He's going to have a meltdown either way, might as well have some fun doing it."

"That's terrible! Amelia, how could you even suggest something like that!?"

"I'm just joking around, trying to lighten the mood. You'll sit him down and just tell him. Explain to him that it was unexpected, the pill isn't one hundred percent effective, and you're just as scared as he is."

"You always know the right thing to say, Ames, there's a reason you're my best friend."

Amelia pulled Sookie in for a tight hug. Sookie walked over to the sinks to wash her face before heading home to have the dreaded conversation. As they passed through the lobby, Jason came running over. Someone reported to him that there was a hysterical woman in the locker room. One look at Sookie's bloodshot eyes let him know he found out who was crying. He was concerned at first that something had happened between the now happy couple who were still in a fragile place in their relationship. Sookie took a deep breath, practicing the speech she was about to give her boyfriend.

"Jason, I'm pregnant."

"Sook! That's amazing! Our kids are going to grow up together! It'll be like you and Hadley! This is amazing!"

He pulled her in for a tight hug, spinning her around. She prayed that Eric would have the same reaction. At least she had her best friend and her brother on her side.

Eric returned from an afternoon at the publishing house mentally and physically exhausted. Pam had dozens of forms for him to sign; he was renewing his contract with the firm, signing on for three more Danger novels, and giving the third Danger movie the green light. Between the meetings and the sycophants, he'd been through a very trying few hours. He hated the business aspect of his profession; he much preferred to just sit and write.

He entered the apartment and a delicious mix of scents filled his nose. Sookie was preparing one of his favorite meals; rigatoni Bolognese and homemade garlic bread. His mood immediately changed for the better and the kiss he received from Sookie only helped add to his new outlook on the day.

Dinner was ready by the time he changed out of his dress clothes, so he sat at their dining room table while Sookie brought everything over. He found it interesting that instead of corking the bottle of her favorite wine in the fridge, she was pouring iced tea for them. She offered the excuse that she wasn't in the mood for wine, but that was only the first sign that something was off. The second sign came quick enough when Sookie started rambling about her day; her eyes not able to focus on one spot for more than a few seconds. Eric took her hand in his, feeling her pulse racing when his fingers past her wrist.

It was obvious she wasn't ready to discuss what was bothering her and that she had prepared one of his favorites to butter him up. He knew that she knew he would be drained after his meetings and was trying to break something to him gently. He played along with her game; making small talk and discussing what happened during his day. She lit up when he mentioned the third movie and promises of future books. He loved the smile that broke out on her face.

After more than his share of pasta and an oversized slice of her amazing red velvet cake, he could see her gathering her strength to move the conversation into uncomfortable territory. He opted to give her another few minutes by offering to clear the table and start the dishes. He was most of the way through when she started talking.

"So I have something to tell you and I'm not sure how you'll feel about it."

"Well, you won't know until you tell me. Go for it."

"I know we agreed to take it slow and live one day at a time, but Eric, I'm pregnant."

The dish in his hands fell to the floor and shattered into a hundred pieces. He felt light-headed and the room began to spin. He took a seat at the bar; desperately needing to sit down before he passed out.

"Eric, are you okay? You look really pale. Can I get you a glass of water?"

"Yes. And some whiskey. A lot of whiskey. The good stuff."

She handed him both beverages he requested. After a moment of deliberation, he downed the whiskey before sipping at the water. His heart was beating through his chest, his pulse surpassing what he felt at Sookie's wrist earlier. He was going to be a father. All of his most terrifying nightmares passed through his mind. He had no idea if he was capable of raising a child. What if he was a terrible father? He was close to passing out when he felt Sookie's hand wrap around his own.

"I'm not going to lie to you. I'm scared, too. But we're going to get through this. We're still going to take it one step at a time. But instead of two of us, there will be three."

His breathing returned to normal and he pulled her into his arms, clutching her tight against his chest. He thought about everything that had happened in the past few weeks and knew what he had to do. He stood up from his seat, kneeling before her.

"Then I'll do the right thing. Marry me?"

"No."

**A/N2: NO!? NO?!!! NO!?!!?!?!!???!??!**

**I will do my best not to take three weeks to update again. Please leave me some review love so I know there's still an interest in this story.**

**HUGS AND KISSES!**


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: In weeks past, this time slot was reserved for updates of Terminal Attraction or Comic Con Connections. Sadly, I've been going through a period of writing fail this week. This chapter refused to come together for me. It appeared that the Author needed a solid kick in the ass, because things came together nicely today. There's a chance that there will be a Terminal Attraction chapter this weekend. I swear, I'll get back into the swing of posting soon! I blame the Black Dagger Brotherhood.**

**I teased this chapter in the Monday Teaser Forum here on FanFiction dot Net, and gave an exclusive tease on Wednesday to my favorite Pimp, Sapfirerose on her blog, My SVM Addiction. I'm super excited with the way this turned out. I've been told it's a tear jerker, but they're happy tears! If you're the weepy type, keep the Kleenex near by.**

**Special thanks to my girl, my beta, chiisai-kitty for her speed-betaing, even if it was slightly slower than possible due to FDM's porn-tweeting. What's that? You want to follow us on twitter? Check me out at Lubadub_**

**Disclaimer: Nothing mines but the fine Mr. Danger**

"No? What do you mean no?"

Eric jumped from his position on the floor to pace in front of the dining room table. His hands were raking through his hair to the point that Sookie was worried he would start pulling it out. She gave him a few minutes to work through his nervous energy, knowing he wouldn't listen to a word she said in his current state. When his steps seemed to slow, she walked over to him, taking his hands to lead him towards the couch. When he sat down, his leg bobbed with all the tension that was still in his body.

"I don't want you to marry me because you think it's the right thing to do. I want you to marry me because you love me and know in your heart that you want to be my husband."

"You were just saying how you thought so highly of Jason for marrying Crystal because it was the right thing to do! I try and do the same thing and get shot down? I'm a little confused here, Sookie!"

"Jason is a moron who wouldn't know what the right thing to do for a woman would be if it bit him in the ass. He needed to settled down, and marrying the woman he knocked up was the right thing to do for him. It's not right for us."

"What will everyone back home think about you bringing a child into this world without a husband? You and I both know they think babies and weddings go hand in hand."

"I did a lot of soul searching while we were apart and I realized that everyone back home can suck it. I can't spend my life worrying about what they think of me. If they have a problem when we visit the farmhouse with our baby, without wedding bands, I'll introduce them to the bottom of my boot."

"Visit the farmhouse? Does that mean you agree that New York is our home?"

"Yeah. I have no ties in Bon Temps outside of that old house. I realized that when I was sitting alone in the bathroom puking my guts up. Everyone in town knew I stayed, and not one of them, outside of Tara, came to see if I was alright. Bon Temps is definitely not the same place it was when I was growing up."

"We can still keep the house and visit whenever you like. I don't mind it so much as a vacation home. I know you still have feelings and memories attached to it."

She snuggled up next to him, resting her head on his shoulder. He ran his hand along her back, as if she was the one who needed comfort. The physiological signs of his panic attack were passing, and his breathing was almost under control. He brought his free hand up to her stomach, trying to make a connection to the tiny life that was growing inside of her. He couldn't think of it as a baby yet; his mind only had the most clinical of ideas about what was happening.

"Eric?"

"Hm?"

"I'm only going to do this once. This is your chance to walk away. If I know I'm going at it alone from the beginning, I can handle it, but I wouldn't be able to take it if you left me when I was eight months pregnant."

His eyes almost popped out of his head. "Are you insane? I just proposed to you and now you're asking if I want to break up?"

"I just know that fatherhood wasn't part of the program for you right now. I don't want you to feel pressured into staying with me."

"If you had said yes to me, I would have married you and been happy for the rest of my life. I don't feel trapped, or pressured, or any of that nonsense. It's just a little surreal still. Give me time to adjust. These emotions are all new to me."

"Okay. If it makes you feel better, I haven't gotten past terrified yet, either."

"Lover, I'm still in shock. Give me a few days to reach terrified. Then we'll work on acceptance and happiness together."

* * *

Five weeks in, and he still wasn't at happiness. He stayed awake at night scared of what parenting could mean. Sookie had brought home a mountain of books, which he read through while taking writing breaks. The changes her body was about to go through were so intense they scared him. It was getting to the point where he was contemplating calling his former psychiatrist and asking for another Xanax prescription.

Sookie had since moved on towards the excited stage, especially after their first ultrasound. Seeing a smudge on the screen instantly connected her to their creation. He thought someone just did a lousy job cleaning.

He knew he couldn't share his fears with Sookie. She had already started talking about the baby as if it were a real person; something she could touch and feel. Perhaps it was different for her, since it was growing inside of her. He did confide in one person; Pam. He stopped by her office one afternoon for a lunch meeting and couldn't stop the verbal diarrhea. He told her about the pregnancy; every nuance of his psychosis, every fear that rattled through his mind. Instead of the expected snark, she just sat with a neutral face and let him get everything off his chest.

"You moron, of course you're scared. You're a first time father. I'd be more concerned if you took it all in stride. You're the type to freak out first, then come to terms with everything later. Remember when we published your first novel. I thought I would have to commit you the week before release."

"You can't blame me for being a wreck before my books come out."

"Didn't Felicia sleep over at my place for a few nights the first time around?"

"Yes! She couldn't stand my tossing and turning. I was just glad she didn't kick me out."

"She knew I wouldn't put up with your bullshit. I'd slip you a sleeping pill in your scotch. Her staying with me was the safer option for all parties involved."

"Very true."

The two friends shared a laugh and the insanity that built up their relationship before Pam's face got serious again. "Do you know the moral of the story? Despite your constant pre-release jitters, every book was an overnight success. You freaked out the entire time and then everything was fine. It's going to be the same here. Except in nine months, there will be a baby, not a book."

"Seven months, she's already two months along. But you're wrong, it's going to be a baby and a book. Sookie's due date is two weeks before the release date."

"You've got to be fucking kidding me. We're going to have to commit you. I'll reserve a bed at Bellevue for you."

"Like I said, the baby was a bit unplanned. Maybe we could push the release of the book back a few weeks?"

"Un-fucking-likely. The book is coming out before the movie, just like we did with Dame."

"Get me a deluxe suite. And I want a hot nurse."

"Deal."

* * *

Eric's heart was beating out of his chest. He was sitting in the waiting room of Sookie's OB/GYN waiting for her appointment time. This was not their first meeting with Dr. Ludwig, but he was just as anxious as he was the first time. When she had captured a freeze frame on the ultrasound, showing their very tiny fetus, Sookie burst into happy tears. Eric didn't feel anything for the tiny blip on the screen; he could barely make out that it was going to be a baby.

Sookie knew of his hesitations, but knew they were perfectly normal for a first time dad, especially considering the way they found out they were having a baby. She had mentioned that they might be able to hear the baby's heartbeat at this appointment since she was twelve weeks along now, but he couldn't focus on any of the particulars. The room smelled sterile, as most doctor's offices do, and he was surrounded by four very pregnant women. Their husbands all looked tired and afraid; the perfect summary of his emotions.

They were called into the examination room, where Sookie changed into a flimsy paper gown. Eric took a seat in the corner, trying to wish himself out of the room. He was nervous about becoming a father, but in some ways, it still didn't feel real yet. They hadn't told any of their friends or family they were expecting, outside of Amelia, Jason, and Pam who were sworn to secrecy. Eric was on the verge of giving himself a panic attack when the doctor walked into the room. She made light conversation while giving Sookie an exam, trying to include Eric in the dialogue. He stuck to one word answers; despite his gift with the written word, language seemed to be failing him now.

Dr. Ludwig brought over a small instrument with a wand attachment. She mentioned something about a Doppler, but the only definition Eric had of that word involved the weather forecast. The doctor pressed the wand against Sookie's stomach, moving it around for a few moments while silence filled the room. Sookie nervously grabbed Eric's hand, but he wasn't entirely sure what was bothering her. He tried to comfort her the best he could given the circumstances, but when the quiet was broken by a pulsating sound, he understood perfectly.

That was his child's heart beating. It meant there was a strong, constant flow of blood pumping through its tiny body. He didn't even try to stop the tears that were forming in the corners of his eyes from falling. He was going to be a dad.

It all came crashing towards him at once; the first steps, the first words, the first day of school. It meant spoiling his little princess or rough housing with his son. There would be sports' teams and school plays. All of it spent with Sookie by his side. A lifetime of happiness with his family.

He barely noticed the doctor walking out, but soon enough, Sookie was in his line of sight, completely dressed and ready to leave. He looked up at her, his eyes full of awe.

"We're going to be a family. We're having a baby. You're carrying our baby."

Her eyes misted up, and she joined him in shedding a few tears. "That's the first time you referred to it our baby. Are you finally with me at the happy level?"

"This isn't happiness. This is ecstasy. I'm going to be a dad." Eric pulled her closer to him, kissing her. "We need to tell everyone."

"They'll figure it out real fast tomorrow night when they're all getting shitfaced and I'm drinking Sprite."

"We should call my parents and brother in Stockholm. Or Tara and JB in Bon Temps!"

"You were the one who wanted to wait to call everyone. Call anyone you like."

"We should meet up tonight for drinks. Do you think we can get everyone to Merlotte's on such short notice?"

"Have you met our friends? They never pass up an excuse to get drunk. We'll tag team them on the cab ride home."

They did as agreed, calling the usual suspects to come to Merlotte's a night early. As expected, every last one of them agreed. By the time they were walking down the hallway from the elevator ride up, the last minute details had all been sorted out and take out had been ordered from their favorite vegetarian restaurant for an early supper.

Before their food arrived, Eric decided to call his parents and share the good news. It was just after five o'clock in New York, so it would be just after eleven in Stockholm. Sookie was concerned it was too late to call, but he reassured her that his parents were night owls and wouldn't mind, taking into consideration the good news it brought. He didn't speak to his parents on the phone often; they usually opted for e-mail correspondence.

His mother answered the phone and he delivered the news, she started to cry. This was not their first grandchild by any means; his older brother had four children. She was on speakerphone, but in her emotional state, was speaking in rapid fire Swedish which Sookie could not understand. Whatever it was brought tears to Eric's eyes which he quickly wiped away. His father came on the phone next to offer his congratulations and demand they both come home for the anniversary party. Eric finally agreed, and promised to fill them in on future travel arrangements. This news just made his mother cry harder. They hung up after a several rounds of "I love you" and "we'll see you soon".

"What was your mother saying in Swedish? I still only know a few phrases and dirty words."

"She was saying how happy she is that I've found peace in my life after Felicia. That, plus how she can't wait to meet the woman who pulled me out of the darkness and is giving her another grandchild."

Sookie cried at the sentiments. Eric wasn't that close with his family, so she hadn't spent much time speaking with them in the past. To know his mother thought so highly of her, warmed her heart to no end. Eric pulled her close, holding her while she cried herself out. This had become normal routine for them. Sookie's hormones were all over the place already; she would break down into tears over the smallest thing. He didn't mind though, it meant more time with his girl in his arms.

Eric wanted to call his brother next, but knowing there were four young children in the house made a late night phone call highly improper. He trusted his mother to fill in the details and expected a call the next day. Hopefully, his brother remembered the time difference as well, and didn't call him in the early hours of the morning.

They stayed curled together on the couch for a while longer, Eric's hand running soothing circles on Sookie's back, even though she had stopped crying. After she calmed down, they started making more plans for the future. Looking around the apartment, it became obvious that a move would be necessary. They'd need a second bedroom for the baby's nursery. Sookie made it her mission to sort through the listings for possibilities so Eric could focus on his book. Instead of the panic that the thought of moving brought on the first time, now Eric was excited. He could imagine painting the baby's room and picking out furniture for the nursery. They were so lost in their fantasy future that the phone ringing with their take out scared them both. Eric went downstairs to collect their food while Sookie set out a pair of plates and glasses filled with sweet tea.

She was shocked at the sudden change in Eric's mood but couldn't complain. She wanted him to get excited about the baby, and now that he was, she was looking forward to doing all the things normal couples do to prepare. It would be a busy time for them; between their baby, Jason's baby, Eric's book, moving, their trip to Stockholm, and the holidays just around the corner, they had a lot on their plate. After their fight, however, they were stronger than ever and she knew they could handle it.

He came back in the apartment, dished out the food onto their plates and delivered her meal to the couch. They planned out their trip to Sweden for the beginning of December, a little over a month away. They were staying a week; long enough to see family and friends but not too long that Editor Pam would have a heart attack. Eric's due date was looming and there was still a large portion of unwritten book. They finished dinner but still had plenty of time left before they had to leave for the bar. Sookie propped her feet in Eric's lap, subtly hinting at her desire for a foot rub, while dialing their travel agent to arrange for the flight.

Eric caved, rubbing the soles of her feet just the way she liked. While she spoke to the agent, his hands wandered from her feet to her calves. He shifted on the couch, sliding between her legs slowly to the point where she didn't notice his changing position due to the phone's distraction. It wasn't until Eric pushed up her skirt and his fingers ghosted along the insides of her thighs that she caught on to his naughtier intentions. She wrapped up the conversation quickly, thankful their credit card information was on file.

She gave him a lusty look, spreading her legs wider. He shifted again, leaning forward to kiss her lips. She pulled him closer to her, enjoying the weight of his body on top of her. She knew she would begin to show soon enough, and they wouldn't be able to lay like this anymore. He nuzzled and kissed the smooth skin of her neck, feeling her body tremble as desire pumped through her bloodstream. His hand slid back between her legs, teasing along the edge of her panties. She rolled her hips against him, hoping he would get the hint that she wanted more.

He slid her classic white panties off and returned his hands' attention to her center, grazing a finger over her folds, purposely missing her sensitive clit. She was soaked already, but he was in a teasing mood. He went back to gently running his fingers over the skin of her legs, her hips, her stomach, never setting a set route to keep her guessing. Whenever they would pass near where she needed them most, she would gasp, begging him to make contact, but he never did. She opened her eyes, and the minute she saw the lust in his gaze, she knew the teasing was worth it.

She screamed out as two fingers plunged deep inside her and a third worked on her clit. He was waiting for the eye contact he loved so dearly before giving her the pleasure she needed. She was so worked up that it barely took any effort to set her over the edge. Between Eric's finger brushing against her spot and the possessive growl emanating from his chest, her release came on hard and fast. She was left breathless.

When she regained control of her mind, she looked over at the clock, commenting that they should start getting ready to go out. Eric looked down at her, a sly smile on his lips.

"But I haven't had my fun yet."

He picked her up off the couch, carrying her towards the bedroom. After another pair of mind blowing orgasms, Sookie and Eric showered, dressed, and headed down to Merlotte's. With their little distraction, they were the last to arrive but there was a Heineken and gin and tonic waiting for them.

"Thanks for ordering for me, but I won't be able to drink this tonight."

After the collective confusion settled down, Sookie locked eyes with Amelia, who was smiling wider than ever.

"Eric and I are having a baby! I just entered the second trimester, so we thought it was time to announce it to everyone."

The sounds of everyone shouting out in joy drowned out the music. Hugs went all around and a second round was ordered, with a ginger ale for Sookie. Their friends had a million questions, all of which Sookie and Eric were happy to answer. Their due date was April 23th. Yes, she was thrilled the morning sickness was over. No, this did not mean they were getting married. Yes, they'd be raising the little one in New York. No, Pam is not a good name suggestion for a girl.

Their usual hang out had become an impromptu celebration. It was a quiet night and Sam agreed to turn off the music long enough for a phone call to made to Bon Temps. Sookie told Tara the good news, which started another round of tears and excited voices. She knew the one call would be enough. Knowing the way gossip flew around small towns made it possible to only call one person, yet have the whole town know before long.

Jason caught Eric's eye, nodding towards the bar. The two men walked over to get the next round for the table. Eric could see that something was weighing on Jason's mind and assumed that's why he asked him over.

"Eric, you've become a brother to me, you know that, right?"

"Of course. What's bothering you?"

"I think you should marry Sook."

Eric rolled his eyes, taking a deep breath before coming up with a response that didn't involve punching the other man in the face.

"If you must know, I proposed to Sookie and she said no. It's just not the right timing for us."

"Doing the right thing is a big deal to Sookie. She's just being stubborn and hormonal. Trust me, I know all about that."

Jason had mentioned to Eric how hard it was dealing with Crystal over the course of the pregnancy. She hadn't come out with them, and Jason almost looked relieved to have a night away from her.

"No, I think it's just Sookie knowing exactly what she wants. I have the sneaking suspicion that when Sookie's ready to get married, she'll let me know loud and clear. Our fight put things into perspective for us. We're strong enough that we don't need the law to approve of our relationship."

"Alright, I'll take your word for it. Man, it's going to be fun raising our kids together. Ring or no ring, you'll still be Uncle Eric."

Lafayette put the drinks down in front of them, letting them know he was paying for this round. Jason and Eric brought the drinks back, sliding right back into the flow of the conversation. Eric wrapped his arm around Sookie again, and she settled against his side as if he had never left. He pressed a kiss to the top of her head, perfectly content. It made his heart happy to know that in the aftermath of everything that went down, things worked out for the best. Everything was exactly as it should be.

**A/N2: I'm totally jumping on the baby bandwagon with Dixie :) I hope you enjoy the ride! Want to be like Pam and start suggesting names? I'm open to options, leave me a review with baby names! Or just leave a review! I like reviews. **

**Ciao!**


	11. Chapter 11

**SOOOO Here's my story. I started this chapter liiiiiike a week ago. Then I got distracted by Tumblr porn and had to write a super smutty chapter of Terminal Attraction. Then... I lost the warm and fuzzies required for writing this chapter. BUT IT'S HERE NOW! Yes, I am aware that it's been a while, but, good news, I'm trying to amend my writing failure ways. **

**Bad news... I'm going on vacation to Disneyworld on Saturday and will be gone a week. Yes, I'll be in sunny Florida on my birthday (the 16****th**** if you're interested). And when I say bad news, I mean for you, the reader, not me, the person. For me, it's awesome. I love Disneyworld more than I love most things.**

**AMAZING NEWS! Seastarr08 and I teamed up to start a new multi-authored project titled "Eric and Pam's Excellent Adventure" and started a new FF account in it's honor. We're now formally named Lubstarr. The first two chapters have posted, my chapter, which chronicles Pam's turning, and Seastarr08's, which follows baby Pam and Eric to France where they meet a certain future Queen... link is in my profile, check it out!**

**Chiisai-kitty... she's still putting up with me as a beta client. She's a saint. She has also declared that "Ladies and Gents, the Lubs is back and in full force." I love my girl. I might meet her while in Florida! SUPER EXCITED!**

**Enough of my psycho-it's-now-after-1-in-the-morning rant. Enjoy the chapter.**

**Disclaimer: None of it's mine... except my favorite sociopath**

"We should name the baby Thor if it's a boy."

Eric looked up from his laptop to see the playful smile on Sookie's face from across the couch. She had the newspaper open to the classifieds, looking for a larger apartment. They had been sitting in relative quiet for a large chunk of the afternoon, enjoying each other's company while working on their own projects.

"If you want a traditional Swedish name, we could go for something like Lena or Ingrid."

"Those are girl's names. I want Thor if it's a boy."

"We could still use something more modern, like Valter or Samuel."

"Nope. It's Thor, or nothing."

"How can it be nothing? We're going to name our child 'Nothing,'?"

"No, we're going to trade him in for a girl. Duh."

Eric looked over at his girlfriend again, who was now trying to hold back the massive giggle attack by hiding behind the paper. He ripped it from her hands to tickle her, which unleashed all the laughter she was fighting so hard to contain. Clancy jumped up, prepared to attack the beast who dared hurt his owner, but when he realized it was the two of them being dumb, he went back to sleep to continue chasing cats.

The tickle attack stopped when Eric was face level with Sookie's slowly expanding stomach. Her bump was still easily concealed, just barely noticeable. He pressed a soft kiss to the spot he assumed the baby was sitting, whispering to it in Swedish.

"You should talk to Baby Danger in English. I don't understand what you're saying when you speak in Swedish."

"I still like that you refer to it as Baby Danger, not Baby Northman. You know who impregnated you, right?"

She laughed, swatting him playfully on the arm. "Yes, but who was I imagining in my head?"

That led to a second round of tickle torture, which resulted basically the same way. Eric was obsessed with speaking to the baby growing inside the love of his life.

"If I speak Swedish while it's in the womb, it will come out understanding both languages. Don't you want our baby to be bilingual?"

"Yes, but that means I only have a few more months to learn more than swear words and common phrases. How often does 'excuse me, where is the bathroom?' come up in conversation?"

"With children or pregnant women, surprisingly often."

She rolled her eyes. "I just don't want the baby to be better at your native tongue than I am. I figured we'd learn it together."

"Yes, but children pick up new languages better than adults do. Either way, Baby Danger will still be more adept than you."

"Thanks. You're being mean. You know what that means."

He sighed and flopped back to his end of the couch, waiting for his punishment. They had made a deal that whenever he was mean to her during the pregnancy, he had to rub her feet. She would pick up on the slightest snark in his tone and force one out of him. He didn't mind it terribly; anything he could do to make his girl feel better was top priority for him. She was doing the hard work by carrying their child, the occasional foot rub was the least he could do.

"So back to Thor."

"We're not naming our child Thor. I call veto power on that one."

"You need to stop watching Friends with the dog."

"But Clancy enjoys it so much. Especially the episodes with the duck and the chick. For a dog who's afraid of small animals, he really loves when the birds are on screen."

"Fine. Since you hate all of my suggestions, give me one you like."

"First, you only suggested one name. Second, I offered a ton of suggestions before I had to tickle you. Third, I already know the perfect name for a girl."

She sat up so she could mock him better. "First, I only gave one suggestion because it is the best name ever for a Viking descended baby. Second, those names were lame so I ignored them. Third, tell me, tell me, tell me!"

"I know how important your grandmother was to you, so I thought we could name her after Adele. At first, the name Addison rang through my head but Pam said it was too pretentious. So, after giving it some thought, I tried to use anagrams and build names around the letters in Adele. I came up with the perfect solution."

Sookie had tears in her eyes by the time he finished speaking. She couldn't find her words, so an enthusiastic nod was all the indication he got to continue.

"Madeline. It's the perfect name for a little girl. It's sweet, comes with a slew of nicknames and has a built in theme for the nursery. We could decorate it with images from the children's books."

She jumped into his lap, wrapping her arms around his neck. Sookie's already short emotional fuse was cut even shorter with the flares in pregnancy hormones ripping through her body. Her mid-sob nodding let him know she agreed with his logic. She took a few minutes to cry, then while her tears subsided, let the name roll on her tongue.

"It's perfect. Thank you for honoring my Gran with that name. I wasn't leaning towards one gender or the other before, but now I really want a girl. You're right, that's perfect."

"I know. So now that I've come up with the perfect name for a girl, will you get off Thor for a boy?"

"Nope. And, did you say you talked to Pam about names? You realize this is the first conversation we've had about choices, yet you've been talking to her? I don't know how I feel about that."

"We were discussing names for a new character in the novel. She didn't like the one I chose and somehow that got us on the topic of baby names. I just bounced a few ideas off of her; the names that had been rattling around in my head."

"Does she know about Madeline? I kinda want that to be our little secret."

"No. I came up with that yesterday. I've been keeping it to myself. I was almost surprised when you brought up the topic, no matter how ridiculous the suggestion was. We must have known on some level that we were thinking about the same exact thing."

She pointed towards her feet. "You called my name ridiculous, that's a ten minute extension mister. Get to rubbing."

After the first moan as his fingers starting working their magic again, Sookie regained her ability to think and grabbed the paper to get back to searching.

"Hey, there's an open unit in our building. It's on the fifth floor, three bedroom, one and a half bathrooms, great park view! We wouldn't have to give up our view! Oh my God, how amazing would that be? We'd only have to move our stuff down a few flights instead of across town. That would be so much much easier, especially in my condition."

"Which means I won't have to worry about you overexerting yourself. I'll call the building manager and see if we can take a peek at it."

Twenty minutes later they were standing in the middle of the living room of the empty apartment. The manager was thrilled at the idea of their apartment swap since renting the two bedroom Eric owned would be much easier than a three bedroom in the down economy. He gave them a packet of paperwork to fill out as a formality, but told them they could move down in one week's time. The quick time frame left them plenty of time to settle in before their big Thanksgiving celebration, which was sure to become an annual tradition after the amazing time they had last year. Being on the fifth floor wouldn't give them as good a view of the parade floats as the tenth floor did, but a good time was still guaranteed. It was not the view that made the party, it was the people who came together as a family at that time of the year.

As promised, one week later they were moving all of their belongings down to their new home. Tray, Amelia, Jason, Alcide, and a few other trainers from the gym came over to help their friends move. Sookie had the sneaking suspicion that Jason only agreed to get out of the house and away from now eight month pregnant Crystal, seeing as he did little in the heavy lifting department. She wouldn't call him out on it, though, since he was smart enough to bring people who worked out for a living. It made schlepping things much easier.

Six hours and a few pitchers of sweet tea later, everything was brought down to the new apartment. Everything about the space was larger; which made sense for their growing family. The master bedroom suite was slightly smaller than their previous bedroom, but it still had plenty of space. The soon to be nursery would need a paint job. The dark walls did not scream "baby's room" to either Eric or Sookie. Luckily, it was really the only room that would require any work. The entire apartment was perfect for them, as is.

Sookie set out to put their new bedroom together while Eric did the same in his study. Before he left her side though, he made her promise not to work too hard or lift anything too heavy. He had developed a strong protective side once he found out he was going to be a father. He would do anything to prevent Sookie from feeling any strain or stress.

By the time he had everything placed exactly where he wanted, he ventured out of his cave to see what Sookie was up to. She wasn't in the kitchen, despite the boxes still waiting to be unpacked, nor was she in their bedroom where he left her. He found her in the baby's room, standing dead center with her eyes closed tight. As he spoke to her, he whispered, not wanting to startle her out of her daydream.

"Sook, you okay?"

"Can you see it as clearly as I can? This is our baby's room. We're going to raise a family here. Maybe we'll get a rocking chair, that would make it perfect."

"Anything you want, Lover. I can see you sitting in it, rocking our baby to sleep, or reading a story aloud. You're going to be a great mom."

She opened her eyes to look at him, no longer fighting the tears. "You're going to be an amazing dad. See that spot right there? That's where you'll be changing diapers at two in the morning while I'm blissfully asleep."

He laughed. "Just call me Mr. Mom. I'm ready for that, I think."

The next few days were a blur of settling in and redecorating. Temporarily speaking, the nursery was being used as storage for the boxes they didn't feel like unpacking. Thanksgiving Day was upon them, but Sookie was prepared. She longed for the big gathering. Since her pregnancy, her nesting instincts were kicked into overdrive. She was cooking at least two full meals a day, far more than she and Eric were capable of eating. She ended up bringing leftovers for the trainers at Jason's gym or the waitresses down at Merlotte's. No one was complaining about the influx of food or their slowly expanding waistlines.

The usual crowd of friends started showing up as the parade was getting started, sitting out on the balcony as they had last year to watch the floats, balloons and marching bands go by. Crystal gave Sookie a weighted stare every time she had to go inside to use the bathroom; one that screamed, "This will be you in four months."

Sookie's excitement grew as the moment's ticked by, knowing Santa would be just around the corner. Eric came up behind her, wrapping her in his arms to speak next to her ear to insure she heard what he said.

"Just think, Sookie, at this time next year, you'll be holding our son or daughter in your arms, showing them Santa for the first time."

She spun around, her eyes so wide, he could see the whites all around her bright blue irises. "Baby's First Thanksgiving and Baby's First Christmas? Oh my God, next year is going to be amazing!"

Having overheard the conversation, Jason groaned. "God, Sook, I can't imagine you any more crazy about the holidays, but if anything was going to launch you into outer space it would be that."

"Shut up. You'll be just as excited about your child's first everything."

"I can tell you this right now." He stopped, making sure his wife was not within earshot. "This Christmas is going to be awful. Crystal is due the 27th. She's going to spend the entire holiday bitching about how pregnant she is, how miserable she is, blah blah fucking blah. I swear, I'm this close to blowing my own brains out to end the misery."

"You are such a big baby. Suck it up, wuss. Imagine how she feels. That woman is carrying your child, my nephew, so you need to start being nicer to her or I'm going to kick your ass. I'm not that pregnant yet, I could still do it."

"Dang, sis, calm yourself. I don't know how you do it, Eric. Enjoy five more months of that!"

"That's why I have a study. I just go in there and close the door. Sometimes, dealing with Susannah is easier than Sookie."

That earned him a death glare. "That's so a foot rub. A long one. Fuck it, a full body massage."

He pulled her back into his arms, cuddling her close to his chest. "You were going to get one of those anyway. I know you're going to knock yourself out over dinner, even though I warned you not to."

She looked Jason dead in the eye. "See, this is why Eric is a better man than you'll ever be. He takes care of me instead of complaining about my crazy. He knew about the crazy before hand and still wanted to be with me. If you did a little more for Crystal and a lot less moaning and groaning, you'd be a lot happier."

Jason opened his mouth, ready to reply, but was quickly shut down by Sookie as Santa came into view. Her annoyance at her brother melted away as her the giant red sleigh rolled down Central Park West. As he signaled the end of the parade, the party moved inward where football took over the big screen and meal preparations took over in the kitchen.

The bird came out of the oven and everyone gathered around the table. They went around the table, voicing what they were all thankful for before digging in. Sookie had prepared a feast, with every side dish imaginable. Instead of helping in the kitchen, she asked everyone to bring a dessert so she could focus on the main course. Jason had commented on how everything tasted just like Gran used to make it, which caused more than the pregnant women to tear up.

Dessert followed dinner, and by the end of the night, everyone was stuffed to the gills with Southern comfort food and the best sweet treats the city's numerous bakeries had to offer. As hard as Sookie fought against it, everyone pitched in for the cleaning, leaving Eric to cuddle her on the couch to insure she didn't get up. Their guests left slowly with plenty of hugs and kisses.

They ended up back on the couch after sending Tray and Amelia on their way with a container of leftovers. As Eric rubbed her shoulders, Sookie let out a giggle.

"And what is so funny?"

"Do you remember last Thanksgiving?"

"You falling asleep at the dinner table?"

"That's not exactly what I was thinking of. That was the very first time we were intimate."

"I remember that blow job well. I also remember coming faster than a sixteen year old."

She laughed, then turned around giving him her best bedroom eyes. "Why don't you show me how much your stamina has improved?"

She straddled his waist, grinding down against him. He was hard already, anticipating just what Sookie had planned for him. Would she suck him off, taking her sweet time, savoring the feel of him in her mouth or take him in her wet pussy, riding him until they were both covered in sweat and exhausted. Maybe a combination of both. He got his answer as she unbuttoned his shirt, licking a trailed down his chest, stopping to suck on his nipples. She ended at the top of his pants, opening them using only her teeth.

He moaned as she wrapped her lips around him, teasing him with agonizingly slow passes of her tongue over the head of his cock. His hips thrust forward of their own volition, seeking more of the warmth of her mouth. She hummed before releasing him, opting instead to take a long lick from base to tip. She lapped up the drops that pooled there, moaning at the taste that was purely his.

She gave him a wicked smile before bypassing the obvious, opting instead to plant the softest kisses she could manage on his thighs and abs. He was trembling as her lips moved slowly up the insides of his legs, nipping at the skin there. When he felt her warm breath on his balls, followed by a long lick with the flat of her tongue, he nearly lost it.

"Fuck, Sookie, are you trying to kill me?"

She giggled, her throat close enough to his body that the vibrations traveled over his skin. "Just channeling my inner Susannah. You want me to stop teasing?"

She didn't give him a chance to answer, taking his full length down her throat in one quick motion. His head fell back against the arm of the couch, his hand tangling in her hair as she worked him hard and fast. His hips thrust in time with her mouth, trying to get as much pleasure as physically possible from every movement. She slowed down when she knew he was close, letting wind down before cranking him up again. Thinking he couldn't stand another minute of torture, she worked harder to push him over the edge. Her reward was a string of profanities, a long, low moan and a mouthful of his release.

She sat up, moving back to the other end of the couch so she could take in the sight before her. His eyes were closed, his chest heaving with every breath, yet the only emotion coming off of him was sheer bliss. He cracked open an eyelid, the only movement he was capable of, and gave her a smile. He opened his arms for her, and she moved forward, sprawling out on top of him, cuddled as close as possible.

"I am so lucky to have you in my life. And not just because you give an amazing blow job, but because you're perfect in every way for me. You and all your crazy."

She didn't have a response that wouldn't make her cry, so she settled for kissing his chest directly over his heart. They lay snuggled for a while before a random thought popped into her head.

"So, we leave for Sweden in a week and a half. Is there anything special you want me to see?"

"I would think you'd enjoy walking around town, but it will be very cold there this time of year. Maybe we'll go out for short walks and then warm up with hot chocolate."

"Or each other's body heat."

"That works, too. It is the preferred way to warm up. Scientists say it's the best way, in fact."

"Well, then we'll have to! I think I just want to get you naked."

"You always want me naked. Your libido has been insatiable the past few weeks."

"Are you complaining?"

"Not at all. Just stating the obvious."

"Good. When we are clothed, I want to spend time with your family. Is it just you and your brother?"

"Yup. Lots of aunts and uncles, which means lots of cousins. We were never lonely growing up. I'm sure they'll all love you and the confusion on your face as they speak to you in rapid fire Swedish."

"Oh God, I'm not going to understand anything for the week we're there."

"Relax, most Swedes speak English. And I've already told my parents to spread the word that your Swedish is shaky, at best. You'll have an amazing time, I promise you."

"Great. I'm not nervous at all."

"You're lying. Stop getting yourself anxious before bedtime. Why don't we practice warming each other up just to be safe."

"Why, Eric, I just love the way you think."

**A/N2: WARM AND FUZZIES!**

**ALSO, I kinda skipped over the fact that Sookie and the author celebrated their one year dating anniversary. I'll eventually write a smutty outtake, a la A Very Dangerous Valentine's Day, to tell you all about it. **

**Next chapter: Bon Voyage to Sweden.**


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